After the Great East Japan Mega Disaster, Japan has adopted several structural mitigation strategies to minimize harm from disasters. Nancy Daneau points out, for example, buildings have been built to withstand earthquakes and strong winds and be more resilient; more trees have been planted as a post-disaster recovery strategy to provide a barrier against wind; AI software has been utilized to calibrate building frames and glass thickness; earthquake-resistant pipes, redundant communication system, and back up mini power grids have been built and implemented.
Nonstructural strategies have included updating building regulations to include rigorous mandatory testing; establishing key partnerships with industry to maintain critical infrastructure such as transportation; and harnessing social practices and norms to institutionalize risk mitigation into the culture.
Read Nancy Daneau’s brief on mitigation strategies here