Large-scale Earthquake Disasters Research Articles

Detection of Location from Kits Set Up by Vulnerable People during Earthquake Disasters with Communication Blackout: Study Using YOLOv5 Algorithm

When an earthquake occurs, the larger the scale of the disaster, the harder it is to support the victims’ needs. In fact, even the most meager support for victims has become quite difficult. Furthermore, it is also known that the greater the damage, the more difficult it becomes to use cell phones, applications, etc. The authors have developed multiple reflectors observable by synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellites and differing backscattering coefficients. Using them, we have proposed a method for ascertaining the location and needs of victims during a large-scale earthquake disaster. In this study, we developed an object detection model using YOLOv5 to detect the reflectors from within SAR images. In addition, we constructed a method for managing setup locations in GIS by conferring latitude and longitude information on reflectors obtained through YOLO v5. Through analysis, a model of the proposed reflector detection and identification of setup locations via GIS was developed in this study.

Development of a Radar Reflector Kit for Older Adults to Use to Signal Their Location and Needs in a Large-Scale Earthquake Disaster

In Japan, older adults account for the highest proportion of the population of any country in the world. When large-scale earthquake disasters strike, large numbers of casualties are known to particularly occur among seniors. Many are physically or mentally vulnerable and require assistance during the different phases of disaster response, including rescue, evacuation, and living in an evacuation center. However, the growing number of older adults has made it difficult, after a disaster, to quickly gather information on their locations and assess their needs. The authors are developing a proposal to enable vulnerable people to signal their location and needs in the aftermath of a disaster to response teams by deploying radar reflectors that can be detected in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery. The purpose of this study was to develop a radar reflector kit that seniors could easily assemble in order to make this proposal feasible in practice. Three versions of the reflector were tested for detectability, and a sample of older adults was asked to assemble the kits and provide feedback regarding problems they encountered and regarding their interest in using the reflectors in the event of a large-scale disaster.

A Study on Actual Conditions about Vulnerable People during a Large Scale Earthquake Disaster

A Study on Actual Conditions about Vulnerable People during a Large Scale Earthquake Disaster

Multi-Objective Emergency Material Vehicle Dispatching and Routing under Dynamic Constraints in an Earthquake Disaster Environment

Emergency material vehicle dispatching and routing (EMVDR) is an important task in emergency relief after large-scale earthquake disasters. However, EMVDR is subject to dynamic disaster environment, with uncertainty surrounding elements such as the transportation network and relief materials. Accurate and dynamic emergency material dispatching and routing is difficult. This paper proposes an effective and efficient multi-objective multi-dynamic-constraint emergency material vehicle dispatching and routing model. Considering travel time, road capacity, and material supply and demand, the proposed EMVDR model is to deliver emergency materials from multiple emergency material depositories to multiple disaster points while satisfying the objectives of maximizing transport efficiency and minimizing the difference of material urgency degrees among multiple disaster points at any one time. Furthermore, a continuous-time dynamic network flow method is developed to solve this complicated model. The collected data from Ludian earthquake were used to conduct our experiments in the post-quake and the results demonstrate that: (1) the EMVDR model adapts to the dynamic disaster environment very well; (2) considering the difference of material urgency degree, the material loss ratio is −10.7%, but the variance of urgency degree decreases from 2.39 to 0.37; (3) the EMVDR model shows good performance in time and space, which allows for decisions to be made nearly in real time. This paper can provide spatial decision-making support for emergency material relief in large-scale earthquake disasters.

Getting ready for mega disasters: the role of past experience in changing disaster consciousness

Purpose – Attempting to explore the role of direct experience in influencing disaster consciousness and public opinion, the purpose of this paper is to carry out comparative analyses of Japanese people’s knowledge, risk perception, and policy preference about large-scale earthquake disaster before and after the Great East Japan Earthquake. More importantly, aiming to provide implications regarding the application of past experience, the predictive power of direct experience on disaster consciousness is also examined. Design/methodology/approach – This study analyzed parts of the data collected from two nationwide public opinion surveys among Japanese conducted by the Japanese Government. Analyses of variance were performed to examine changes in disaster consciousness. A path model was developed to examine the predicted effects of direct experience. χ2 tests were performed to examine changes in strategy preference. Findings – This study found significant changes in Japanese people’s knowledge of natural hazards and perception of mega disaster risk. Tests of the path model suggested significant positive effect of societal level impact on disaster consciousness and strong predictive power of knowledge on risk perception. Significant changes in strategy preference were also found. Practical implications – Results supported the predictive power of direct experience, highlighting the significance of recalling past experience as well as creating indirect experience to raise public consciousness and motivate appropriate actions. Originality/value – This is one of the few studies that investigate changes in public opinion among Japanese before and after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Evaluation of Countermeasures for Building Up Capacity of Disaster-Response for Main Irrigation Channels against Large-scale Earthquake Disaster

Evaluation of Countermeasures for Building Up Capacity of Disaster-Response for Main Irrigation Channels against Large-scale Earthquake Disaster

Preparing for large-scale earthquake disasters at universities

The Tokai region of Japan has experienced many disasters in the past and is also at risk of a Nankai Trough megathrust earthquake in the near future. As Japan's third largest metropolitan area with most important industrial agglomeration, a large-scale disaster in this region would have an enormous impact on domestic and international society. In addition to protecting human lives and averting risk, core universities in the region must continue to provide higher education and advanced research while securing research environments and achievements, and contributing to regional society. However, universities face risk factors during disasters because they are large-scale organizations with many students and faculty members, and also because they are densely populated, contain laboratory equipment and dangerous articles,and are active day and night. Furthermore, it is difficult to establish unified disaster measures in universities because departments are highly independent and tend to prioritize research and education result, and students and faculty members change every year. Considering such situation, this paper describes natural disaster response of universities based on a case study of Nagoya University by examining its disaster management from three perspectives: (1) systems, organizations, and regulations, (2) training, education, and awareness, and (3) buildings, equipment, and materials. As a result, it is indicated that safety and risk management play an important role in the large-scale organizations, and thus universities must construct logical frameworks for disaster response that correspond to their organizations, facilities, and risk situations. Agreement and awareness for disaster response strategy of the organization should be improved by repetition of disaster drills and preparation for disaster mitigation. Language: ja

大規模震災時における「介護施設利用者」の生存率を高めるインフラ構築について

大規模震災時における「介護施設利用者」の生存率を高めるインフラ構築について

Study on Applicability of Remote Building Damage Assessment System for Large-scale Earthquake Disasters

Study on Applicability of Remote Building Damage Assessment System for Large-scale Earthquake Disasters

An emergency logistics distribution approach for quick response to urgent relief demand in disasters

Quick response to the urgent relief needs right after natural disasters through efficient emergency logistics distribution is vital to the alleviation of disaster impact in the affected areas, which remains challenging in the field of logistics and related study areas. This paper presents a hybrid fuzzy clustering-optimization approach to the operation of emergency logistics co-distribution responding to the urgent relief demands in the crucial rescue period. Based on a proposed three-layer emergency logistics co-distribution conceptual framework, the proposed methodology involves two recursive mechanisms: (1) disaster-affected area grouping, and (2) relief co-distribution. Numerical studies with a real large-scale earthquake disaster occurring in Taiwan are conducted, and the corresponding results indicate the applicability of the proposed method and its potential advantages. We hope that this study can not only make the proposed emergency logistics system available with more benefits to the development of emergency logistics systems for the urgent needs of disaster areas around the world but also stimulate more excellent researches concerning emergency logistics management.

Supporting Measures for the Difficult to Return Home at the Earthquake Disaster

At early stage after the large-scale earthquake disaster in the metropolitan area, it is very important for the difficult to recognize the damage situation on the evacuation route, securing food and water during returning home, and so on. In this paper, the problem of the difficult to return home at the Tokai Earthquake has been made clear which outbreaks with the interruption of public transportation. Furthermore, this paper shows the convenience store has been utilized in order to supply water and food just from the aspect of supporting measures for the difficult to return home.

Kinematic Identification Method for Cable-Driven Rescue Robots in Unstructured Environments

Cable-driven parallel robots are being developed for rescue operations in large-scale earthquake disasters. This paper proposes an identification method of kinematic parameters for the installation, such as the position of cable fixture by initializing motion on site. This problem is unique to robots in natural fields, such as disaster sites because the environment is not structured. On the basis of identification error analysis and simulation, the optimal number of measurement points and the size of an identification reference frame are obtained.

A Fundamental Study on The Operation Systems of The Debris Distribution On the Revival from Earthquake Disaster

At the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Disaster in 1995, many problems have occurred so that emergency and recovery activities have been disturbed by traffic congestion.Because a large amount of buildings and houses have been destroyed in this earthquake, environmental problem and accident have occurred to process the debris.However, the prevention plan proposed by individual local government may scarcely describe the countermeasure for this kind of problem. At the large-scale earthquake disaster like the Tokai Earthquake that it is likely to break out, it is requisite to introduce the region-wide mutual coordination across the municipal boundaries. This study proposes an emergent distribution method of debris based on the road network and the demand forecast of the debris quantity. Moreover, this study proposes the support system on region-wide mutual coordination among municipalities at the large-scale earthquake disaster.