Abstract
The Japanese rural coastal areas are inherently vulnerable to typhoons and tsunamis. Their vulnerability has been further increasing recently, in part due to social factors such as the aging of society and depopulation. Following the Kobe earthquake of 1995, the Japanese government has promoted the Voluntary Disaster Preparedness Organization (VDPO) to build communities that are more sustainable and resilient to natural disasters. However, studies indicate that some VDPO activity has stagnated. The present study focuses on a rural coastal area in Japan and examines whether VDPO impacts residents' awareness of disaster preparedness and also examines ties among the community. The study relies on a questionnaire survey. It reveals that VDPO contributes to improving both awareness of disaster preparedness and ties in the community.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 207-215 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Journal of Coastal Conservation |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2009 Nov 1 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Disaster preparedness at community level
- Experience in Japan
- Rural coastal area
- Social capital
- Voluntary disaster preparedness organization
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oceanography
- Ecology
- Nature and Landscape Conservation