ブックタイトルRecommendations to prepare for future mega-disasters in Japan

概要

Recommendations to prepare for future mega-disasters in Japan

b. Enhancing the role of the central government for better accepting international assistance? A comprehensive disaster response body of the central government, or the EmergencyDisaster Response Headquarters, 16 should make centralized decisions on accepting theinternational assistance. This body should be strengthened enough to fulfill theGovernment’s responsibility for facilitating smooth and swift acceptance of incominginternational assistance. More specifically, the Government of Japan should make itclear that the central government - i.e. the aforementioned comprehensive disasterresponse body rather than the affected local authorities - takes ultimateresponsibilities 17 on the entire process of accepting international assistance through18government channels. Such a process includes the identification of needs;coordination with the countries offering assistance; facilitating the entry and transportof personnel and relief materials to the affected areas; monitoring the assistanceprovided and relief items distributed on site; and reporting the results back to the donorcountries.? As for the relief items, the Government of Japan should first obtain comprehensiveinformation about the humanitarian situation and the needs of the affectedcommunities, and negotiate with the countries willing to provide assistance on specificitems required. This proactive approach is different from the conventional passiveapproach where the central government starts to confirm local authorities’willingnessto accept foreign aid by contacting them individually, only after it received specific offersof assistance from various countries. The Government of Japan should also establish asystem, through which it can collectively manage the relief items received; store them atrelaying points at the prefecture’s level; and distribute them for the affectedcommunities together with the relief items mobilised domestically.? As the central government manages the incoming international assistance, theGovernment of Japan should consider amending its Disaster Relief Act in such a way thatthe central government will be able to bear the necessary costs, including fortransporting the foreign relief items from main airports to relaying points, and for theirtemporary storages. This is because the present legal framework is built on the principleof decentralization, hence not suitable for directly applying it to accepting internationalaid (which is essentially what the central government should be responsible for).? Even before amending the Disaster Relief Act, the Government of Japan can and shouldestablish a mechanism of reserved funds for disaster relief efforts led by the centralgovernment - as it decided to do during the GEJE. In this context, it is necessary toensure that the reserved funds are made available to finance the transportation costs ofrelief items received from overseas. Furthermore, the Government should guaranteethat the funds can be accessed across successive fiscal years, allowing theimplementation period of at least two to three months building on the GEJE experience.1 6 At present, the Emergency Disaster Response Headquarters can be considered equivalent to the country’scomprehensive disaster management body. However, the Study Group discussed the need of a strengthenedgovernment entity that is more specialised in disaster response supported by added expertise.1 7 This recommendation will not apply to the acceptance of international assistance based on‘twin-city’typerelationships and partnerships between the private-sectors.1 8 The term“ultimate responsibility”does not mean that the Government of Japan will always be directly engagedin all the practical aspects of accepting assistance.15