Data_150_02_S21_Jack_Hayes
Jack Hayes
DATA 150 02 S21
Assignment 2 Literature Review
Environmental Impact Assessment Satellite Mapping Systems in Japan:
How Japan’s Disaster Management System Negatively Affects Social Freedoms
Word count: 2293
Abstract
Gender perspectives harming human development in various nations has always been a problem in the world. Gender inequalities and inequities, and social unfreedoms in general, often lead to conflict, underproduction, and other complications within a population. This literature review breaks down the structure and tools inside Japan’s disaster management system, and explains how the system negatively affects Japan’s human development process relating to social unfreedoms, especially gender inequalities. The goal of this paper is to understand how geospatial data science methods, particularly satellite-based emergency mapping, are used within the environmental impact assessment field in Japan, and how the collection and analysis of data leads to a better comprehension of social development in the nation during times of disaster. After piecing back together the information and data concerning Japan’s pre and post-disaster management systems with more progressive ideas and arguments, this paper hopes to disseminate said ideas and arguments and spark a realization of needed social change in Japanese society.
Introduction
Today, it is not uncommon to see the battle against gender inequalities when you open a newspaper. There are countless women’s rights groups and activists using their voices to fight these evils on local levels every day. Surprisingly, data scientists are now able to support this fight on a global level through methods of data science. A recent surge in data analytics, specifically geospatial data analysis, allows scientists to provide large-scale assessments of social issues around the globe. Data scientists are now able to take a deeper look into human development patterns regarding social injustices, like gender perspectives, on a much greater scale. Geospatial datasets are becoming more and more prevalent in today’s world of Big Data. These datasets have proven to be incredibly useful concerning major issues such as urbanization, transportation modeling, and environmental impact assessment. Regarding environmental impact assessment specifically, geospatial data is crucial for providing future plans and ways forward. This is important because of the nonlinear, hard-to-predict nature of events like natural disasters. Applied statistical data science methods like satellite-based emergency mapping allow for a quick collection, analysis, and dissemination of data after a natural disaster within a day or two. As one might expect, this methodology is tremendously beneficial to countries with high exposures to natural disasters (JST/NSF, 2013). Japan, for instance, seems to have a never-ending supply of earthquakes. For example, the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) was recorded as a nine on the seismic energy magnitude scale. To put this into perspective, the GEJE occurred in 2011, and Japan is still recovering from the disaster to this day. Data scientists who have applied the listed geospatial data science methods when investigating post-disaster Japan have found significant information relating not just to the geography and infrastructure of post-disaster Japan, but interesting information with respect to human development in the realm of social freedoms as well. The geographical aspect of geospatial data makes it easier to predict these measures such as social freedoms.
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Satellite Mapping
Satellite mapping systems are the most common when it comes to geospatial data collection regarding environmental impact assessment. Relating to disaster management specifically, satellite-based emergency mapping is crucial for a quick, large dispersion of data during a disaster. Earth observation satellite systems (EOs) are the backbone of satellite-based emergency mapping, and collect and analyze the data from natural disasters in real time. Before the incorporation of EOs in disaster management organizations, ground information was gathered and analyzed in a much slower, tedious process. Ground information has many operational uncertainties that impede emergency responses, as the information is almost always limited and incomplete. EOs on the other hand help overcome these uncertainties and lead to clearer and more efficient emergency responses. After a crisis, EOs perform mobilization, data-acquisition, and preprocessing before the situation is analyzed. Map production and dissemination are executed as the last steps in emergency mapping after the analysis is complete, leading to an integration in collaborative platforms and better planning and decision support within relief organizations (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2016). This efficient process has demonstrated its usefulness for crafting pre-disaster plans as well. As one would guess, countries like Japan with constant troubles concerning natural disasters benefit greatly from this method of data science (PASCO, 2016). Japan has a long history of traumatic natural disasters, like the GEJE and tsunami, the Kobe earthquake, and many others. Because of the continual exposure to earthquakes, Japan’s disaster management system constantly adapts and evolves every day. Thus Japan’s disaster management system is among the most efficient in the world. In the event or risk of disaster in Japan, the cabinet office takes the lead in countermeasures, and assesses the danger of disaster. The Extreme Disaster Management Headquarters (EDMH) is led by the Prime Minister, and is responsible for accurate and prompt emergency response. The ministry has three pillars on how to efficiently and effectively provide health care in the event of a disaster: setting up disaster base hospitals, operating and training Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, and establishing an Emergency Medical Information system. After a disaster or emergency, geospatial data is gathered through satellite-based emergency mapping, and the EDMH is immediately able to grasp the whole picture of the damage and take action (Ogata, 2016). Although efficient from an outside perspective, many researchers have actually found flaws in Japan’s disaster management system relating to the country’s social development. The lack of social cohesion within post-disaster communities makes the recovery process longer and more difficult for the entire nation. There is undoubtedly major room for improvement when it comes to elevating human development within post-disaster Japan.
Case Studies
In 2017, a team of well-known Japanese researchers shared their findings after investigating Japanese social development following the GEJE and tsunami in 2011. The authors of this article looked at the “social capital”, or social interconnectedness within a community, among the survivors of this terrible disaster. To begin their research, the team relocated people who lost their homes to the GEJE in two different ways: group relocation to public temporary trailer housing and individual relocation to government provided housing. The researchers then conducted a follow-up survey two and a half years later, which investigated the health status and social capital of the participants. It was found that those who were a part of the group relocation method fared much better than those indiviudually relocated. Residents who moved into temporary shelters with their neighbors continued to participate in a number of communal activities, such as meeting with local officials to voice their grievances and ideas relating to post-disaster services. The individually relocated people, however, struggled with social cohesion, mainly due to anxiety which negatively affected their cognitive social capital (Science Advances, 2017). A lack of social capital leads to a higher risk of health problems, functional disabilities, and cognitive decline. This is incredibly detrimental to the development of a population. The results of this experiment proves that social freedom and connectedness are not just important to the development of communities, but to the improvement of the resilience of disaster response as a whole. Although social capital is subjective to a certain degree, this study shows that the hard-to-predict matter of social wellbeing is made easier through the analysis of geographical relocation, and reveals some of the weaknesses within Japan’s disaster management organization. By focusing the lens on post-disaster Japan even more, other researchers found one of the main sources of social discontent: gender perspectives and inequalities. Yoko Saito, a Japanese scholar, dove deeper into the social effects disasters have on Japanese society. Saito found that gender perspectives were being reinforced during times of disaster in Japan rather than improving. These modern Japanese gender stereotypes bloomed in the 1980s and 1990s. During a period of high-economic growth in the 80s and 90s, men were seen as the breadwinners of their family and had to work far from home, which made women responsible for domestic work. This was seen as the traditional model of living in Japan for some time, but after the Kobe Earthquake, it was incredibly evident that gender roles were hurting the social development of Japan. For example, community disaster management organizations are a big part of disaster prevention in Japan, and after the Kobe Earthquake, it was revealed that 96% of the leaders in these resident associations were men. Women, on the other hand, were involved in very small organizations instead, like the household fire prevention club. Additionally, after the emergency phase following the GEJE, more gender-related issues became apparent. Women voluntarily cooked at evacuation sites while men were paid to do jobs like moving debris. The GEJE also further displayed the noticeably higher mortality rate of women in Japan. Single and older women often live in less secure and safe places because of the few economic opportunities women have due to their unreasonably low employment rate and social status (Saito, 2014). This look into gender perspectives was built upon by other scholars. Two researchers named Mieko Yoshihama and Tomoko Yunomae also addressed some of the effects the GEJE had on gender roles through a photovoice project. Their research project sought to answer the question of how to make disaster responses and policies more inclusive and gender-informed. Photovoice methodology was developed in the 1990s and was a popular way of assessing communities needs. The methodology requires participants to take photographs and share them in a series of group meetings so participants can discuss the issues important to their lives and communities. The results of this particular project were displayed to the public, and showed the underrepresentation and isolation of women’s perspectives and roles in their communities (Social Work, 2018). Presenting the project’s results to the public sparked a push for change in many. Citizens started demanding better recognition and education of these injustices. This spark relates to famous economist Amartya Sen’s definition of human development, as Sen believes in a slower form of development fueled through social and public health improvements rather than an economic boom and abundance of resources. Through this method of spreading information about these injustices and improving social development, Japan will not only become more progressive as a society, but their economy, quality of living, and disaster management efficiency will all improve as well.
Ways Forward
When thinking about this method for progressing Japanese social development, it is easier to look at specific gender-related issues and their solutions. Combating gender-based violence and involving gender equality centres are just a couple of the key focal points for better ways forward. Gender-based violence is a sensitive matter, but psychological and physical factors like sexual harassment and domestic violence cannot be ignored. The copious amount of stress placed on women, especially mothers, after being relocated during a disaster leads to a great psychological burden. Negative factors stemming from the encumberment of relocation, like sexual assault and child abuse, undoubtedly hurts communities. This by itself shows how important support systems are in post-disaster Japan. Consultation services need to be provided immediately after a disaster to affected regions to help combat these mental and physical tolls on individuals. There are already hundreds of these gender equality centres in Japan, but they have a weak connection with the disaster management organizations. Quickly mobilizing and using these stations during a disaster to provide counselling services would greatly benefit those who suffer from gender-based violence. Furthermore, these centres should strive to share lessons and educate the public on gender-related issues. Seen in the photovoice project shared earlier, providing the public with information and solutions regarding gender perspectives would greatly benefit the social development of Japan.
Conclusion
Although the gender inequalities and inequities in Japanese society are not linked to a singular, specific agent, understanding the negative effects that specific processes, like natural disasters, have on these wrongdoings will help guide the human development process. There is no “equilibrium” per se for gender perspectives, but steps in the right direction can be taken by asking scientific questions such as: how can Japan, and other nations around the world, better their disaster management processes to help combat systems crippling to social freedoms? There are some clear solutions to questions like these after looking at the research projects previously shown. There are no major issues with the applied statistical methods of gathering and dispersing information during a disaster, but there are problems within the relocation and rebuilding of lives after a disaster strikes. Implementing temporary shelters is paramount to the speediness of reconstruction after the disaster. Building off of that, group relocation to said temporary structures is key for strengthening communal ties and social capital. Within these communities, listening to all voices should be of the utmost importance. Men and women should both volunteer their time and receive the same amount of support and benefits from post-disaster reconstruction jobs; their voices and grievances should be heard and addressed equally; receiving leadership positions in these communities should not be determined purely by characteristics such as gender. If these steps are implemented carefully and correctly, social development within a population will be greatly accelerated. The analysis of the given information showed ways in which disaster management systems, specifically Japan’s, can be improved. There is a gap in the literature, however. Social ideas such as gender perspectives are incredibly broad topics, especially within a whole nation. In the given research articles, the problems of post-disaster social cohesion are inspected, but there is very little connection to the effects and processes on pre-disaster social obstacles. The next step is addressing what systems Japan has already implemented regarding social freedoms in pre-disaster planning and regular life. Taking all of the details provided and questions for the ways forward into consideration, a central research question can be crafted: what policies and ideas can Japan’s authorities implement within their disaster management systems to combat gender perspectives and improve community resilience as a whole?
Sources
Geospatial World & Media!, Yoshikawa, K., Takagishi, S., Okajima, Y., PASCO Corp. (2016, May 03). Japan earthquake disaster assessment using RS tech. Retrieved March 05, 2021, from https://www.geospatialworld.net/article/japan-earthquake-disaster-assessment-using-rs-tech/
Hikichi, Hiroyuki, Yasuyuki Sawada, Toru Tsuboya, Jun Aida, Katsunori Kondo, Shihoko Koyama, and Ichiro Kawachi. “Residential Relocation and Change in Social Capital: A Natural Experiment from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.” Science Advances 3, no. 7 (July 1, 2017): e1700426. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700426.
Anderson, K., Aoi, S., Pu, C., Tu, G. (2013). Big Data and Disaster Management A Report from the JST/NSF Joint Workshop (Publication).
Ogata T. (2016). Disaster Management in Japan. Japan Medical Association journal : JMAJ, 59(1), 27–30.
Saito, Y. (2014). Progress or repetition? gender perspectives in disaster management in japan. Disaster Prevention and Management, 23(2), 98-111. doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy.wm.edu/10.1108/DPM-08-2013-0134
Voigt, Stefan, Giulio-Tonolo, Fabio, Lyons, Josh, Kučera, Jan, Jones, Brenda, Schneiderhan, Tobias, . . . Guha-Sapir, Debarati. (2016). Global trends in satellite-based emergency mapping. Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), 353(6296), 247-252.
Yoshihama, Mieko, & Yunomae, Tomoko. (2018). Participatory Investigation of the Great East Japan Disaster: PhotoVoice from Women Affected by the Calamity. Social Work (New York), 63(3), 234-243.