An earthquake off the coast of Japan produced a fatal tsunami that made landfall on March 11, 2011. Known as the Great East Japan Earthquake, the 9.0 – 9.1 magnitude quake produced a natural disaster that took 20,000 people’s lives. The tsunami devastated homes and infrastructure, causing an ensuing accident at a power plant.
Olivia Ducharme discusses the mitigation strategies in place that reduced destruction and the lessons learned from the mega-disaster. Ducharme highlights the critical need for a resilient water supply after the natural disaster disrupted water available to nearly 500,000 people. The brief outlines protocols changed following the event to strengthen public-private partnerships.