Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a plan to offer 4 billion yen over the next four years in aid of enhancement of anti-disaster measures in developing countries, addressing the U.N. World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai on March 14. Taking advantages of lessons and technologies learned from experiences of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan will assist in infrastructure development that are crucial for disaster prevention. Infrastructure Minister Akihiro Ota met with counterparts of the developing countries who participate in the conference, expressing the administration’s intention to strengthen cooperation in anti-disaster management.

PM Abe stressed that disaster prevention is the highest priority issue especially among developing countries in light of realizing sustainable developments and adaptation to the climate change, announcing the policy to continue financial aids to the developing countries.

Given an increasing number of severe floods especially in Asia, Japan will focus on helping build water-resilient infrastructure, making the most of advanced engineering technologies and methods that Japanese companies possess. The government also enhance assistance in capacity building of disaster management; offering guidance on legislation development and training more than 40,000 disaster experts. (2015/03/17)