11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
[HDS10-09] A Study on Changes in Disaster Awareness of Residents of Apartment Complexes Located on Artificial Islands
From the Results of a Survey in the Minatojima Area, Chuo-ku, Kobe
Keywords:Disaster preparedness awareness, Housing complex, Evacuation at home, Artificial island
The Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 caused a shortage of shelters due to the number of evacuees exceeding the expected capacity, resulting in a large number of victims who needed evacuation but were unable to take shelter in the evacuation centers prepared by the government. One of the reasons for this was that residents of medium- and high-rise apartment complexes evacuated to shelters. Furthermore, the impact of the spread of novel coronavirus infection after 2020 has forced a review in terms of the expected capacity of evacuation centers. Recognizing that evacuation centers will need to provide more space than in the past, there have been moves to review the existing capacity, and there have also been cases of evacuation centers refusing to accept people with priority given to preventing the spread of infection.
In light of the above, when promoting disaster countermeasures in districts where many medium- and high-rise apartment complexes are located, it is necessary to understand how each resident will take evacuation action when a disaster occurs or is feared to occur, to prevent such confusion. Evacuation to a shelter may not be the only option in the event of a wind or flood disaster, but vertical evacuation, such as securing safety in the highest place possible, may be recommended.
This study examines how to make disaster prevention measures more effective by understanding the actual disaster awareness of residents in a district located on an artificial island consisting only of medium- and high-rise apartment buildings. The specific research subject will be the Minatojima district in Chuo Ward, Kobe City, and the results of a questionnaire survey will be analyzed to determine how residents' awareness changes in the course of ongoing community-wide disaster prevention activities.
The surveys were conducted in 2018 and 2023, respectively, with questionnaires distributed and collected from all households. First, the collection rate has increased significantly, rising from 19.4% overall in 2018 to 30.4% in 2023. As for disaster preparedness concerns, similar to the results of the first survey, concerns about toilets were the most frequently cited concern. In terms of preparation for this, the percentage of respondents storing emergency toilets in the 2018 survey was 14.0%, while in the 2023 survey, this percentage increased significantly to 43.4%.
The entire district has been informed of the importance of ensuring toilet functions for evacuation at home. The district has also provided mediation services for emergency toilets. The accumulation of such measures tailored to local conditions has led to an increase in disaster awareness among district residents and to concrete and highly effective individual measures.
Furthermore, differences in residents' awareness by building age and between residents of condominiums and rental apartments were also revealed. It is clear that making appropriate judgments about the risks of houses and residential areas and considering and implementing measures for them in the district as a whole, can effectively improve both the disaster preparedness literacy of residents and the enhancement of specific measures.
In light of the above, when promoting disaster countermeasures in districts where many medium- and high-rise apartment complexes are located, it is necessary to understand how each resident will take evacuation action when a disaster occurs or is feared to occur, to prevent such confusion. Evacuation to a shelter may not be the only option in the event of a wind or flood disaster, but vertical evacuation, such as securing safety in the highest place possible, may be recommended.
This study examines how to make disaster prevention measures more effective by understanding the actual disaster awareness of residents in a district located on an artificial island consisting only of medium- and high-rise apartment buildings. The specific research subject will be the Minatojima district in Chuo Ward, Kobe City, and the results of a questionnaire survey will be analyzed to determine how residents' awareness changes in the course of ongoing community-wide disaster prevention activities.
The surveys were conducted in 2018 and 2023, respectively, with questionnaires distributed and collected from all households. First, the collection rate has increased significantly, rising from 19.4% overall in 2018 to 30.4% in 2023. As for disaster preparedness concerns, similar to the results of the first survey, concerns about toilets were the most frequently cited concern. In terms of preparation for this, the percentage of respondents storing emergency toilets in the 2018 survey was 14.0%, while in the 2023 survey, this percentage increased significantly to 43.4%.
The entire district has been informed of the importance of ensuring toilet functions for evacuation at home. The district has also provided mediation services for emergency toilets. The accumulation of such measures tailored to local conditions has led to an increase in disaster awareness among district residents and to concrete and highly effective individual measures.
Furthermore, differences in residents' awareness by building age and between residents of condominiums and rental apartments were also revealed. It is clear that making appropriate judgments about the risks of houses and residential areas and considering and implementing measures for them in the district as a whole, can effectively improve both the disaster preparedness literacy of residents and the enhancement of specific measures.