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World must redouble efforts to prepare for disasters, says RedR
A year after Japan’s north-east coast was rocked by a catastrophic earthquake and subsequent tsunami, international disaster relief charity RedR says the 11 March anniversary is a timely reminder of the need for effective disaster preparation in at-risk countries.
More than 18,000 people were killed, 6000 injured and hundreds of thousands of homes an d businesses destroyed as a result of the magnitude 9.0 quake; the worst natural disaster to hit Japan in nearly 100 years.
Though the recovery effort continues in many parts of the Tohoku region – centred around Fukushima Prefecture following extensive damage to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant – the March 2011 crisis was also characterised by Japan’s remarkable disaster preparedness and response.
Learning from Japan
RedR Member and Director General of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Japan, Eric Ouannes, who led MSF’s response on the ground in the weeks following the disaster, recently said:
“Many state disaster-risk reduction programmes have so much to learn from Japan. Within a month, Sendai airport, inundated by the tsunami, reopened. In some areas people went back to work after just two days. If we ever need a reminder of the true value of emergency response professionals – or truly effective disaster preparedness systems – Japan is it.”
With some of the most stringent quake-mitigation building codes in the world; a fully developed Disasters Medical Assistance Team (DMAT); consolidated disaster management systems and thousands of trained volunteers available to support relief efforts, the impact of last year’s catastrophe, although significant, was mitigated.
Disaster Risk Reduction
The anniversary comes in a year of increased focus on disaster risk reduction worldwide. In recent months, both the UN and leading humanitarian agencies have pointed to the ever-more urgent need to build the capacity of vulnerable communities to prepare for and respond to natural and man-made disasters.
Speaking ahead of the 11 March commemorations, the UN’s Margareta Wahlström, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), said that the world had ‘many lessons’ to learn from last year’s Japan quake.
“Building codes pay, early warning systems pay […] drills, training, public education and awareness also pay off and save lives”, she said.
Wahlstöm’s comments chime with those of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon who began his second term in January by highlighting Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) as one of his five ‘generational priorities’.
Increased investment in DRR is now long-overdue. With the economic price-tag reaching some $380bn in 2011, the costliest year for disasters in history, and tens of thousands of lives lost each year, vulnerable countries desperately need to begin investment in mitigation strategies, RedR says.
Expert training works
RedR, which trains aid workers around the world so they are better prepared to respond to disasters, has long-known that investing in the skills of local communities saves countless lives following major natural and man-made crises.
Over the past year, RedR has equipped more than 6000 aid workers, the vast majority of them nationals of countries vulnerable to disasters, with essential skills; from how to provide emergency shelter, to staying safe in the field, and project management after emergencies to essential water and sanitation skills and more.
RedR’s Chief Executive, Martin McCann, said: “As we reflect on what happened in Japan a year ago, now is the time to redouble our efforts to ensure that even more people have the skills and knowledge to reduce the impact of future catastrophes.
“In many ways, Japan is an example to us all. Training aid workers so they are as effective as possible is just one pillar of effective disaster mitigation. But it’s an incredibly important one, particularly in regions of the world which are less prepared for catastrophic events. Skills save lives.”
RedR runs permanent training programmes in Sudan, South Sudan, Pakistan and Kenya and delivered expert skills to humanitarians in 40 countries over the past year.
Notes to Editors
1. To arrange an interview with RedR's Chief Executive, Martin McCann, contact RedR Communications Manager in London, Jo Barrett on +44 (0)7940 703911 or jo.barrett@redr.org.uk
2. RedR is an international disaster relief charity that trains aid workers and provides skilled professionals to humanitarian programmes worldwide, helping to save and rebuild the lives of people affected by natural and man-made disasters.
3. RedR Members are experienced, specialist aid workers who are carefully selected and trained to the highest professional standard. Responding to humanitarian and development-related crises in more than 80 countries each year, our leading network of 1700 Members includes logisticians, medical practitioners, project managers, water and sanitation specialists, surveyors, administrators and communications experts, to name but a few.
4. For further information about RedR and our work training aid workers, particularly in countries vulnerable to disasters, visit our website: www.redr.org.uk
