Japan launches disaster management agency to boost response, reduce damage

On Monday, Japan launched a new agency called the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) to oversee disaster response and reduce damage from various crises in the earthquake-prone nation. The agency, headquartered in Tokyo, will establish regional hubs in the summer of 2027 to enhance coordination with local governments in dealing with disasters.

These hubs are expected to open by July 2028. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will head the agency, while Reconstruction Minister Goshi Hosono will serve as disaster management minister simultaneously.

The NDMA will respond to a range of disasters, including megaquakes along the Japan Trench, Chishima Trench, Nankai Trough, and beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area. The agency will also tackle torrential downpours and volcanic eruptions. A major challenge for the agency will be expanding support to municipalities with limited budgets and access to disaster management experts.

The disaster management minister has the authority to make recommendations to other ministries and agencies, and those whose efforts are deemed insufficient will be obligated to respect the minister's recommendations.

The NDMA will work on improving evacuation shelters, reducing disaster-related deaths, and proactively providing amenities that are often in short supply, particularly in the event of megaquakes. Moreover, the agency will be responsible for the recovery and reconstruction of disaster-hit regions, starting with the Noto Peninsula, which was hit by an earthquake in 2024, and Kumamoto Prefecture, which experienced a magnitude-7.1 temblor in July this year.

The agency will also designate the increasing intensity of floods across the country as a critical issue, following heavy rainfall in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo that caused urban flooding in August.