Although the education sector sustained considerable damage in the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE), it also played a key role in protecting lives. Importantly, it provided both civil protection hardware and software: school buildings served as evacuation shelters and transition shelters, and...

Risk communication is an important component of disaster risk management (DRM) because it shapes people's perceptions of risk and influences their actions with respect to disaster preparedness and disaster response. It also influences the intervention decisions that are made throughout the...

The Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) caused immense damage and congestion in telephone infrastructure, including 1.9 million fixed-line services and 29,000 mobile phone base stations. Government radio communication infrastructure was also seriously damaged. Voice messages were widely used to...

Local communities play a key role in preparing for disastrous events such as the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE), and are normally the first responders to take action. On March 11, 2011, Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) were active in the disaster response and saved countless human lives....

Earthquakes, floods, drought, and other natural hazards cause tens of thousands of deaths, hundreds of thousands of injuries, and billions of dollars in economic losses each year around the world. Many billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance, emergency loans, and development aid are...