Letters from a Century Ago Project
World BOSAI Walk Tohoku +10
Commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, we conducted the “World BOSAI Walk Tohoku+10” which is to capture "Build Back Better" efforts in the tsunami-affected area of Tohoku and broadcast it to the world.
World BOSAI Projects
In addition to the regular activities of the World BOSAI Forum, several selected projects, the "World BOSAI Projects", will be implemented. These selected projects were carefully screened to determine whether they should be undertaken by the World BOSAI Forum, and the decision was also made in consultation with the Foundation’s Board of Directors. The results will be
World BOSAI Project 1: Supporting the development of a World Bosai Museum Network
We will support the development of a network of museums related to disasters risk reduction where citizens can feel familiar with disaster risk reduction. Museums are very important as a place where people can learn about disaster risk reduction in a fun way, but at present, there is no list of such museums in Japan or even in the world. There is a tsunami museum in Hawaii, USA, a hurricane museum in Texas, a tsunami museum in Aceh, Indonesia, a tsunami museum in Phuket, Thailand, a tsunami museum run by a community in Sri Lanka, an earthquake museum in Wenzhou, China, and many others in Japan.
The first step is to create and publish a list of these museums and build a loose network of museums that can cooperate with each other. By creating a system that allows museums to communicate with each other and share exhibits virtually, we aim to support the creation of citizen-friendly museums and increase awareness of BOSAI. We will also plan a special session at the World BOSAI Forum, which is held regularly. As many museums are forced to close due to the spread of coronavirus infection, we hear that many of them are facing management problems. We would also like to explore good ideas for solutions in the network.
World BOSAI Project 2：Support the activities of Global Centre for Disaster Statistics
In order for the concepts of disaster prevention, mitigation, and recovery to permeate the world's policies, societies, and cultures, it is necessary to present disasters and their economic impacts in a form that can be generally understood. In particular, in order to achieve the global targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Global Centre for Disaster Statistics, established at the International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, is supporting the development of a disaster loss and damage statistics system by the competent National Disaster Management Organizations of various countries in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Understanding the history of past disaster loss and damage is very important in assessing current and future disaster risks, but it is not practiced in most countries. The WBF Foundation is supporting Tohoku University's efforts to use cloud technology to store data and add analysis to them to encourage countries to use them as policies. The results of this activity will be regularly presented at the World BOSAI Forum to show the progress.
World BOSAI Project 3: Disaster Risk Reduction in Developing Countries Project (Tornado Disaster Risk Reduction in Bangladesh)
Tornadoes in Bangladesh have been overshadowed by cyclones and floods as their impacts in society are overwhelming. In fact, there are more tornado victims than in the United States, but the reality of the situation is not well known. As a result, disaster risk reduction measures for tornadoes have remained largely untouched. As a result, more people than the population of Japan are at high risk of tornadoes there; in 1989, the world's worst tornado struck in central Bangladesh, killing 1,300 people in an instant. Unlike tropical cyclones (typhoons), which can be monitored for several days in advance, tornadoes are a difficult phenomenon to predict because they occur suddenly. On average, more than 100 people are killed every year. The tin-roofed houses where many people live are rolled up like paper, and the tin, which has turned into a giant razor, hits the residents at a speed faster than a bullet train, or the residents themselves become flying debris.
The World BOSAI Forum, in cooperation with the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the Bangladesh Disaster Preparedness Centre, the World Wind Engineering Association, and other organizations, will support the implementation of a project to consider an introduction of an ICT-based tornado warning system and to promote the use of tornado shelters that can save the lives of local people.
