Disaster prevention based on a long-term perspective

For developing countries, the prevention or reduction of damage caused by disasters are one means to achieve sustained economic growth. Japan's cooperation policies in this phase cover not only the construction and improvement of facilities but also the wide-ranging support for training, exchange of experts, and the formulation of disaster-reduction plans. In all of these cases, Japan provides continuous support based on a long-term perspective.

Indonesia: overall support for erosion and sediment control technology

Trainees inspecting a sediment flow experiment.

As a consequence of the country's economic development, the accumulation of economic assets in Indonesia has spread to the As a consequence of the country's economic development, the accumulation of economic assets in Indonesia has spread to local areas, which means that there is an increased danger of sediment disasters. Japan has provided Indonesia with loans for volcanic disaster-reduction, erosion and sediment control projects, and with grant aid for the Volcanic Sabo Technical Center. Japan also cooperates in developing human resources and technologies in the field of erosion and sediment control by providing Project-Type Technical Cooperation, which consists of three pillars of technical cooperation: acceptance of trainees, dispatch of experts, and provision of equipment. Moreover, in order to spread the fruits of the project to neighboring countries, Japan provides Indonesia with financial and technical assistance when Indonesia invites trainees to the center from various countries, including China, Thailand, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea.

Peru: technical cooperation for earthquake disaster reduction

Experts giving guidance through earthquake-resistance experiment.

Situated on the pan-Pacific earthquake belt, Peru suffers from a large frequency of earthquakes that cause considerable damage. Consequently, disaster reduction has become a main issue in that country. With the objective of contributing to Peru's technological improvement in such areas as earthquake disaster reduction and earthquake-resistant engineering, Japan implemented the Project-Type Technical Cooperation in Peru. With the financial and technical cooperation from Japan, many trainees from neighboring countries participate in training programs Earthquake and Disaster Mitigation Research Center from other coun tries in the region, with a view to spreading the technology held in the Japan-Peru Earthquake and Disaster Mitigation Research Center. Activities like these will contribute to permeating the technology throughout South America.