防災概念の変革期における地理学の役割

抄録

The great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake disaster prompted the reconsideration of natural hazard prevention programs in Japan. This paper discusses the role of geography in natural hazard prevention programs for the twenty-first century.
Natural hazard prevention programs have been decided upon by the government without sufficient social discussion. However, as there is a variety of natural hazards and they are very complicated, it is impossible to effectively control all of them. As we enter the twenty-first century, the decline in the Japanese population brings with it a reduction of financial resources readily available for such programs. It is therefore important to elicit social consensus on an appropriate safety level for disaster prevention.
Points of discussion for the reconstruction of hazard prevention programs are as follows:
(1) establishing the principle of self-decision for hazard reduction;
(2) importance of prevention programs appropriate to the regional characteristics of natural hazards;
(3) balance between prevention and reduction of hazards;
(4) discussion of priorities to be included in hazard prevention programs based on the analyses for the probability of each hazard;
(5) sustainability of the hazard prevention program itself; and
(6) required natural hazard education based on current advances in science.
Geographical studies that should be promoted for the advancement of natural hazard prevention are as follows:
(1) mechanism of natural hazards;
(2) hazard mapping and its application for a geographic information system;
(3) review of hazard prevention and development programs in the twentieth century;
(4) comparative and cognitive study on the views of natural hazards in various countries;
(5) regional policy for hazard reduction;
(6) education for natural hazard prevention; and
(7) review of concrete planning for natural hazard reduction.