Abstract
In July 2018, Hiroshima Prefecture was hit by record breaking rainfall, causing landslides and river flooding to occur throughout the prefecture. As a result, more than 15,000 houses were damaged and an estimated 1.29 million tons of disaster waste was generated. The government of Hiroshima Prefecture formulated the Execution Plan on Disaster Waste Management in Hiroshima Prefecture for prompt restorations. The Plan clearly states that disaster waste management programs should be completed by the end of December 2019. At present, various related activities utilizing facilities of both the municipalities and the private sector are still in progress. Some crucial issues were discovered in the disaster waste management process this time. For example, procedures for securing and operating of the temporary storage site were not satisfactorily prepared before the disaster. In addition, immediate response measures were very poorly organized. Based on these issues, the prefecture has plotted out a Manual on Initial Actions for Disaster Waste Management in Municipalities, which clarifies the role of the municipality during the initial response period following such a disaster. The Manual is currently being used by the prefecture to conduct map exercises, etc. to train municipal staff members.
