Tsunami immerged residential areas in Natori of Japan’s Prefecture of Miyagi on March 11th, 2011 (Photo: Kyodo/VNA)

Japan has shared with the international community its experiences and the lessons it learned about disaster risk management and reconstruction after the devastating earthquake and tsunami last March. At a conference in Hanoi yesterday, delegates discussed emergency measures for surviving earthquakes and tsunamis and recovering from their devastation. The conference is part of a series of video-conferences themed “Learning from Mega Disasters” held by the Vietnam Development Information Centre and the Natural Disaster Management Group for East Asia and the Pacific Region. Japan’s experience suggests the value of an agency to manage disaster mitigation work, while collecting data on tides, geology, and terrain.