Japan - multi-hazard environmenr Flashcards
Facts about the earthquake and Japan
Japan experienced one of its largest seismic events on March 11 2011. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred 70km off the coast of the northern island of Honshu where the Pacific and North American plate meet. It is the largest recorded earthquake to hit Japan and is in the top five in the world since records began in 1900. The earthquake lasted for six minutes.
Social impacts
The tsunami in 2011 claimed the lives of 15,853 people and injured 6023. The majority of the victims were over the age of 60 (66%). 90% of the deaths was caused by drowning. The remaining 10% died as the result of being crushed in buildings or being burnt. 3282 people were reported missing, presumed dead.
Disposing of dead bodies proved to be very challenging because of the destruction to crematoriums, morgues and the power infrastructure. As the result of this many bodies were buried in mass graves to reduce the risk of disease spreading.
Almost 4,000 roads, 78 bridges and 29 railways were also affected. Reconstruction is still taking place today. Some communities have had to be relocated from their original settlements.
What were the economic impacts of the Japanese earthquake in 2011?
The estimated cost of the earthquake, including reconstruction, is £181 billion.
Japanese authorities estimate 25 million tonnes of debris were generated in the three worst-affected prefectures (counties).
This is significantly more than the amount of debris created during the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
47,700 buildings were destroyed and 143,300 were damaged. 230,000 vehicles were destroyed or damaged. Four ports were destroyed and a further 11 were affected in the northeast of Japan.
Transport was also negatively affected by the earthquake. Twenty-three train stations were swept away and others experienced damage. Many road bridges were damaged or destroyed.
Agriculture was affected as salt water contaminated soil and made it impossible to grow crops.
The stock market crashed and had a negative impact on companies such as Sony and Toyota as the cost of the earthquake was realised.
What were the political impacts of the Japanese earthquake in 2011?
Government debt was increased when it injects billions of yen into the economy. This was at a time when the government were attempting to reduce the national debt.
Several years before the disaster warnings had been made about the poor defences that existed at nuclear power plants in the event of a tsunami. A number of executives at the Fukushima power plant resigned in the aftermath of the disaster. A movement against nuclear power, which Japan heavily relies on, developed following the tsunami.
