In recent years, as disaster scenarios become more severe due to climate change, there have been major disasters occurring throughout Japan also, and this has prompted the country to take up specific measures to deal with the disaster waste generated in each affected area. Prompt and appropriate disposal of disaster waste is crucial to subsequent reconstruction and for this reason, the importance of preparing for disaster waste countermeasures even during normal times is now fully recognized.
The occurrence of natural disasters, such as floods, is increasing and becoming more severe around the world due to the effects of climate change. This trend is particularly noticeable in the Asia-Pacific region where the amount of disaster waste generated unusually high due to the progress of urbanization. In some areas, there are not enough preparations for disaster waste management and the appropriate disposal of waste generated from disasters is a major issue hindering a speedy recovery. This article describes the support being provided by the Ministry of the Environment to date. The Ministry promotes disaster relief and disaster waste management in the relevant countries, including preparation of guidelines and technical materials, and the formulation of policies after investigating the actual situation in each country.
View full abstract