In coastal Japan, one project is planting forests to stand against tsunamis
MINAMISOMA, Japan — Kazuo Monma stepped out onto the small stage and looked at the large crowd with a sense of relief. The weather report had called for rain all weekend, and the mayor of Minamisoma, a coastal city in Japan’s Fukushima prefecture, worried that few would show for what had become an annual event for […]
MINAMISOMA, Japan — Amidst a large crowd, Kazuo Monma expressed gratitude as the weather forecast had anticipated rain for the weekend. Surprisingly, over 1,000 volunteers, some from as far as Kanagawa prefecture, gathered to plant over 12,000 trees along Minamisoma's sandy beaches and steep dunes. Monma, representing the mayor of Minamisoma, praised the community's dedication, stating, "This is a place where thousands of people have kept this up for so long."
Minamisoma, among more than a dozen coastal communities in Japan, is partaking in an innovative project in disaster resilience. While seawalls have been the primary method in mitigating the effects of tsunamis and typhoons, an organization believes that a combination of seawalls and well-planted trees could provide better protection for vulnerable communities.
Fifteen years ago, a magnitude 9 earthquake struck the northeastern Tohoku region, triggering a colossal tsunami.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
