Securing electric power sources for modern disaster risk reduction in Japan

Abstract

Securing electricity and disseminating information is essential for the current disaster response. In particular, in local governments, in order to improve governance capacity, securing power supply and disseminating information are significant issues related to each other in the current disaster response. However, there needs to be quantitative evidence regarding how much power should be secured. As for information dissemination, the impact of power outages is expected to be significant because the information medium requires electricity. Therefore, this study conducted a questionnaire survey to analyze the current basic situation about securing power supply and disseminating information for disaster risk reduction in the local area from June to September 2022 targeting prefectures and municipalities. The survey asked questions regarding the status of securing power supply and the actual status of information and communication systems at the time of disasters in each local government. The survey results indicate that there are issues regarding the readiness of power supply for smartphone recharging for evacuees and those who have difficulty returning home during a disaster. The survey also analyzed areas where future disasters are expected to occur and areas where people are particularly likely to have difficulty returning home during a disaster.