Japan plans to allocate a record $133 billion in its next five-year budget for a national resilience plan focused on enhancing earthquake readiness and key infrastructure, as per Yomiuri News. This marks a $34 billion increase from the existing plan initiated in 2021.
The draft of the national resilience plan is set for release on Tuesday, with the final version due by June. The initiative will prioritize enhancing crucial services like water and electricity, crucial after recent disasters like the Noto Peninsula earthquake on January 1, 2024.
The Noto Peninsula earthquake, measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, resulted in widespread destruction, with over 500 fatalities, two missing persons, and damage to 150,000 houses, according to Nippon News Network. Yomiuri News reports the new resilience plan, comprising 324 projects to enhance earthquake resistance, including upgrades to water and sewage systems and repairs to roads and bridges at 92,000 sites.
The plan involves technology for disaster prevention, enhancing public-private collaboration, and improving local community readiness. Seismic experts warn that Japan faces high earthquake risks in various areas over the next 30 years, with an 80% chance of a magnitude 8 to 9 earthquake in the Nankai Trough off the southeastern coast.
Sources News From Various Digital Platforms, Websites, Journalists, And Agencies.
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