Disaster Management (5 Weeks)

As climate change accelerates, natural hazards have become more frequent and harder to predict. Living in Japan, we know there is the potential for many different natural and human-made hazards to impact our lives no matter where we live - including floods, storms, nuclear power accidents, and earthquakes. As individuals we cannot stop these events, but we can mitigate their impact by knowing the risks, preparing in advance and developing our coping strategies.

This practical course focuses on developing a deeper, more critical understanding of disaster management and the role of different actors – Nonprofits, government, and citizens - in the response to and preparation for disasters. After introducing the basics disaster management cycle the course delves into local disaster assessment, the 4 aspects of preparation and plan development. After class 1 the class then focuses on one or two areas of preparation each week. Over the 5 weeks course participations will develop their own personalized disaster preparation plan with the culmination of each person presenting a short presentation of their plan. We will review different methods used by different organizations and individual to better understand ways for dealing with complex issues. The class will include presentation, discussion, and simulation activities. We will review examples illustrating the importance of individual and group actions to mitigate the impact of future disasters on our lives.

[Free Demo Class on Saturday, April 6 (10-11:30AM)]

This practical course focuses on developing a deeper, more critical understanding of disaster management and the role of different actors – Nonprofits, government, and citizens - in the response to and preparation for disasters. Participants will also gain an understanding of how to prepare their home or workplace in order to mitigate future disaster impacts.

This course requires a high level of English communication ability and is open to anyone wanting to gain a deeper understanding of disasters and how to prepare for the future. This course is for anyone who engages with others – as individuals, in organizations, in companies or through the government – including entrepreneurs, consultants, professors, nonprofit leaders or volunteers. Anyone interested in learning more is encouraged to join!