Recovery of Disaster Victims: Results of Joint Survey in East Japan, Aceh, Sichuan, and Tacloban

This book presents the results of a joint survey conducted as of the tenth anniversary of the 2011 East Japan Earthquake, by an international research collaboration consisting of researchers representing the major universities affected by recent mega-disasters in Asia, namely, the research group at Kobe University, Japan which has folllowed up ten year recovery process from the 2011 tsunami disaster in East Japan,  the research group at the Graduate Program in Disaster Science, Syiah Kuala University in Aceh, Indonesia on the long-term recovery of 17 years after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the research group at the Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction of Sichuan University, China focusing on the  recovery status of 13 years after the 2008 Sichuan (Wenchuan) Earthquake; and the research group at the National College of Public Administration and Governance of University of the Philippines, on the rcovery from the 2013 Typhoon Yolanda that hit the Philippines. 

The purpose of the survey was to evaluate the status of human life recovery of disaster-affected populations and communities in Asia in the long term, for the ultimate purpose of reviewing and comparing the outcomes of different prioritizations among the plural goals of disaster recovery. Through such a review, the authors intend to induce policy implications to guide a better recovery process with lesser impact on the human life recovery in the future disasters that we humans are destined to meet. The target areas are 16 districts in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures in Japan, all typical areas seriously affected by the 2011 tsunami and subsequently came under the governmental construction works for the safety, as well as three villages in Banda Aceh and its outskirts in Aceh Special Province, Indonesia,; two districts in Mianyang city in Sichuan, China which were targetted by intensive reconstructon works conducted by the coupling assistance; and two village communities in Tacloban, the capital city of Leyte island hit by the 2013 Typhoon Yolanda. To realize the concurrent attainment of both safety and livelihood in the recovery planning, this joint survey has identified common issues for a successful cooperation between the local government and communities through the inclusive participation of various institutions representing the variety of interests in each community.

Yuka Kaneko: LL.D., Professor and deputy executive director, Center for Social Systems Innovation, Kobe University, Japan. She is active in the field of Asian comparative law and legal sociology. Her edited books include Asian Law in Disasters: Toward a Human-Centered Recovery (Routledge, 2016), Civil Law Reforms in Post-Colonial Asia: Beyond Western Capitalism (Springer, 2019), Land Law and Disputes in Asia: In Search for an Alternative Development (Routledge,2021), Build Back Better: Issues of Asian Disaster Recovery (Springer, 2021), Insolvency Law Reforms in the ASEAN Emerging Economies: Consequences of the Donor Model Designed for Economic Crises (Springer, 2022). She is a Editor-in-Chief of Asian Journal of Law & Society.

Teuku Alvisyahrin: Ph.D. in Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences (University of Arkansas).Lecturer, Graduate Program in Disaster Science and Soil Science Department, and also the former Head of Division in charge of international collaborations and partnerships at Tsunami and Disaster Mitigation Research Center, Syiah Kuala University, Indonesia. Visting Lecturer and Guest Instructor at the Geophysics Department, Stanford University (2016) and Visiting Professor at the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, Kobe University (2018).

Taqwaddin Bin Muhammad Husin. LL.D. (North Sumatra University). Justice at High Court of Aceh, Indonesia. Former Ombudsman in Aceh Province. He is the lecturer at Syiah Kuala University, and also the expert at the Aceh Province House of Representative, WWF, and the Social and Religion Activist (Muhammadiyah) of Aceh. His publications include a chapter included in Asian Law in Disaster, edited by Kaneko, Matsuoka and Toyoda, Routledge, 2016; Kapita Selekta Hukum Adat Aceh, Bandar Publising, Banda Aceh, 2016; Sisi lain Bekerjanya Hukum dalam Masyarakat, Bandar Publishing, Banda Aceh, 2018; and Catatan dari Ombudsman, BandarPublishing, Banda Aceh 2022.

Jianping Wang: Ph.D. in Economics, Professor, School of Law, Sichuan University, China. Also, professor of disaster law at the Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction of Sichuan University-Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is the chief expert, Natural Disaster Emergency Management and Disaster Recovery Research Think Tank in Sichuan University and is a council member of civil law in the China Law Society. He has published a study of structural control of risk of listed companies and studies on codification of civil law, the traps and risks in contract law in practice, and legal regulation of securities market risk.

Ebinezer R. Florano: PhD, Professor IV and U.P. Scientist I (2020-2022), National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines. Visting Professor at the Graduate shcool of Internaitonla Cooperation Studies, Kobe University (2021-22).