->Japanese disaster prevention experts visited Taiwan to exchange with civil society groups in creation of resilience

On 2024/05/14, "Seminar on the Utilization of Civilian Disaster Prevention Organizations during Large-Scale Disasters" was held by the National Fire Agency (NFA), where Director-General HSIAO Huan-Chang of the NFA gave special thanks to the three disaster prevention experts from Japan to Taiwan for exchange. During the seminar, Japanese experts shared their experience in Noto Peninsula earthquake in Japan; during the process, the Japanese central and local governments immediately mobilized and firefighters, policemen, and self-defense forces in Kansai and Kanto regions for a large-scale assembly for the disaster relief and rescue in the disaster-stricken areas, followed by the bi-lateral discussions on issues such as rush repair of roads, life-support pipelines, and communications, etc. in the disaster-stricken areas through the mobilization and assistance of relevant technical manpower and vehicles, as well as the bi-lateral exchanges on the domestic and international experience of Taiwan’s non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in their involvement in disaster prevention and protection.

As per Director-General HSIAO of the NFA, Taiwan is located on the circum-Pacific seismic belt, with frequent occurrence of earthquakes. The 921 Earthquake in Taiwan in 1999 caused heavy casualties and property losses, which deeply impressed Taiwanese people with the power of earthquakes. This year on 2024/04/03, an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 occurred in Hualien also served as a lesson learned for the Taiwanese people that ongoing progress is required for disaster preparedness and response. After experiencing the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995, the 311 Earthquake in 2011, and the Noto Earthquake in January 2024, Japan has made giant leap of improvements on its applications of science and technology and its preparedness and response capabilities in the field of disaster prevention and protection. Whenever a major disaster strikes, on the one hand, fire agencies/ departments are usually the first-line disaster response units, responsible for various disaster relief and medical care work. On the other hand, civil society organizations often come forward to exert their strength to support those areas lacking governments’ supports. Over the years of disaster relief experience, TZU CHI CHARITY FOUNDATION has also developed a unique disaster relief model: Whenever a disaster occurs, members of TZU CHI often quickly rush to the disaster scene, providing firm assistance and spiritual comfort on the second line, so that the first line disaster responders and the rescued disaster victims could be free from much worries.

This time, Taiwan-Japan Relations Association and the National Fire Agency (NFA) jointly invited Japanese disaster prevention experts to Taiwan. In addition to Taiwan’s learning the experience and mechanisms of the Japanese central government’s response to and measures for the Noto earthquake, as well as the utilization of civilian disaster prevention organizations during the disaster, exchanges between the Japanese experts and Taiwan’s non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were also carried out on such NGOs’ experience in disaster prevention and protection and in international medical care. Through cooperation, exchange, and experience sharing between Taiwan and Japan in the field of disaster prevention and protection, it is of great benefit to Taiwan to improve its resilience in response to large-scale earthquake disasters.