2:15 PM - 2:45 PM
[O09-02] Geopark and the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake: What was able to do and what was not able to do by Hakusan-Tedorigawa UNESCO Global Geopark
★Invited Papers
Keywords:Hakusan-Tedorigawa UNESCO Global Geopark, Noto Peninsula Earthquake
[Introduction]
The 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, which occurred on January 1, 2024 with a magnitude of Mw7.5 and had an epicenter in the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, caused great damage in the Noto region with a maximum seismic intensity of IX in MMI. It is not surprising that it had a great impact on Ishikawa Prefecture as a natural disaster. On the other hand, this earthquake was the largest earthquake caused by an active fault since the Nobi earthquake (Mw7.5) that occurred in 1891, and it was also noteworthy as a "geological event," causing coastal uplift of over 4m, a tsunami and numerous landslides.
As stated in the "Shimabara Declaration", in the Japanese archipelago, where geologically active, it is the role of geoparks in Japan to understand the relationship between geological events and human society and regions and to disseminate this information to society. There is no geopark on the Noto Peninsula where the Noto Peninsula earthquake occurred, but the Hakusan-Tedorigawa UNESCO Global Geopark (HTUGGp) is located in Hakusan City, within the same prefecture. In this presentation, we will report on how HTUGGp responded to the Noto Peninsula earthquake.
[The situation at the secretariat immediately after the earthquake]
Hakusan City, where the HTUGGp is located, observed a seismic intensity of 5-lower due to the Noto Peninsula earthquake, but no significant damage occurred. On the other hand, in the Noto Peninsula, where the earthquake occurred, evacuation within the area was difficult due to conditions such as "significant aging and depopulation" "isolation due to the disruption of the transportation network" and "severe winter" so the prefecture decided to implement a secondary evacuation. Many victims have been evacuated to Hakusan City.
The administrative staff of Hakusan City, which became the host municipality, were tasked with dealing with these evacuees. Since disaster response work will be carried out while continuing normal duties, employees from departments that are relatively not essential to life will be accepting and responding to the disaster, and employees from Hakusan City's Geopark and Ecopark Promotion Division will also be involved in the disaster response.
The geoscience specialists at HTUGGp are regular full-time employees of Hakusan City, and they are required to perform their duties as "Hakusan City employees/civil servants" before acting as geopark specialists, so it is necessary to point out that it became difficult for them to "act as specialists" immediately after the earthquake. The progress in improving the treatment of geopark specialists by making them regular employees and full-time employees has contributed to the stability and qualitative improvement of geopark management, but at the same time, there is a widespread contradiction between their responsibilities as civil servants and their activities as specialists. It is necessary to understand that when a large-scale natural disaster occurs that requires a city-wide response, the geopark closest to the affected area will not necessarily be able to respond at the level required.
[Response by Hakusan Tedorigawa UGGp]
>Joint statement by geoparks in Hokuriku region
In late February 2024, HTUGGp began internally considering how to issue a statement on the Noto Peninsula earthquake. After that, in mid-May, it began coordinating with Itoigawa UGGp to issue a joint statement in cooperation with other geoparks in the Hokuriku region that were affected by the earthquake, and the statement was made by Mayor of Hakusan City, who is also the chairman of the HTUGGp Promotion Council, at the Japanese Geopark National Conference held in September, in a joint statement with the Japanese Geoparks of Fukui, Toyama, and Niigata prefectures.
>Holding a seminar for prefectural residents
Since the members of the Academic Committee are academic researchers, activities related to geopark were suspended while the researchers were involved in investigating and responding to the earthquake, but the secretariat and the members of the Academic Committee kept in regular contact with each other, and the lecture was held smoothly.
>Responding to the prefecture's plan for the “Noto Peninsula Geopark”
Prefecture's reconstruction plan for the Noto Peninsula earthquake indicates a policy to turn the Noto Peninsula into a geopark. HTUGGp provides support for the prefecture's geopark concept by interviews and providing advice and also plays the role of an intermediary between JGN and the prefecture.
The 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, which occurred on January 1, 2024 with a magnitude of Mw7.5 and had an epicenter in the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, caused great damage in the Noto region with a maximum seismic intensity of IX in MMI. It is not surprising that it had a great impact on Ishikawa Prefecture as a natural disaster. On the other hand, this earthquake was the largest earthquake caused by an active fault since the Nobi earthquake (Mw7.5) that occurred in 1891, and it was also noteworthy as a "geological event," causing coastal uplift of over 4m, a tsunami and numerous landslides.
As stated in the "Shimabara Declaration", in the Japanese archipelago, where geologically active, it is the role of geoparks in Japan to understand the relationship between geological events and human society and regions and to disseminate this information to society. There is no geopark on the Noto Peninsula where the Noto Peninsula earthquake occurred, but the Hakusan-Tedorigawa UNESCO Global Geopark (HTUGGp) is located in Hakusan City, within the same prefecture. In this presentation, we will report on how HTUGGp responded to the Noto Peninsula earthquake.
[The situation at the secretariat immediately after the earthquake]
Hakusan City, where the HTUGGp is located, observed a seismic intensity of 5-lower due to the Noto Peninsula earthquake, but no significant damage occurred. On the other hand, in the Noto Peninsula, where the earthquake occurred, evacuation within the area was difficult due to conditions such as "significant aging and depopulation" "isolation due to the disruption of the transportation network" and "severe winter" so the prefecture decided to implement a secondary evacuation. Many victims have been evacuated to Hakusan City.
The administrative staff of Hakusan City, which became the host municipality, were tasked with dealing with these evacuees. Since disaster response work will be carried out while continuing normal duties, employees from departments that are relatively not essential to life will be accepting and responding to the disaster, and employees from Hakusan City's Geopark and Ecopark Promotion Division will also be involved in the disaster response.
The geoscience specialists at HTUGGp are regular full-time employees of Hakusan City, and they are required to perform their duties as "Hakusan City employees/civil servants" before acting as geopark specialists, so it is necessary to point out that it became difficult for them to "act as specialists" immediately after the earthquake. The progress in improving the treatment of geopark specialists by making them regular employees and full-time employees has contributed to the stability and qualitative improvement of geopark management, but at the same time, there is a widespread contradiction between their responsibilities as civil servants and their activities as specialists. It is necessary to understand that when a large-scale natural disaster occurs that requires a city-wide response, the geopark closest to the affected area will not necessarily be able to respond at the level required.
[Response by Hakusan Tedorigawa UGGp]
>Joint statement by geoparks in Hokuriku region
In late February 2024, HTUGGp began internally considering how to issue a statement on the Noto Peninsula earthquake. After that, in mid-May, it began coordinating with Itoigawa UGGp to issue a joint statement in cooperation with other geoparks in the Hokuriku region that were affected by the earthquake, and the statement was made by Mayor of Hakusan City, who is also the chairman of the HTUGGp Promotion Council, at the Japanese Geopark National Conference held in September, in a joint statement with the Japanese Geoparks of Fukui, Toyama, and Niigata prefectures.
>Holding a seminar for prefectural residents
Since the members of the Academic Committee are academic researchers, activities related to geopark were suspended while the researchers were involved in investigating and responding to the earthquake, but the secretariat and the members of the Academic Committee kept in regular contact with each other, and the lecture was held smoothly.
>Responding to the prefecture's plan for the “Noto Peninsula Geopark”
Prefecture's reconstruction plan for the Noto Peninsula earthquake indicates a policy to turn the Noto Peninsula into a geopark. HTUGGp provides support for the prefecture's geopark concept by interviews and providing advice and also plays the role of an intermediary between JGN and the prefecture.