Activities

1. Introduction
On this field trip, I visited a tsunami/storm surge disaster prevention station in Osaka. This facility provides collective control for tsunami and tidal surge protection facilities, such as seawalls and gates and enhances awareness of disaster prevention among Osaka residents In this report, I will introduce one of Osaka City’s disaster prevention efforts from the exhibition.

2. Why Osaka
A city below sea level, Osaka has been often inflicted by the tsunami and tidal surge disaster. Areas below sea level are land areas whose surface is lower than the average sea level at high tide and that’s why typhoons like Muroto typhoon, Jane typhoon and Second Muroto typhoon did so much damage in Osaka. That’s why Osaka is a disaster-prone area and risk management is so important here.

3. How Osaka Performing Risk Management
During the field trip, I came to know that tidal surge protection facilities such as the Shirinashigawa River tidal gate, Takekawa River tide gate, Coastal Improvement (Around Hamadera Park), Hachikengawa River drainage pump station, Tide protection gate are built to stop tidal surge. I also observed novel approaches to the dissemination of knowledge aimed at mitigating the risks associated with natural disasters.

4. My Learning from the Field Trip
Tsunami/storm surges are natural occurrences which are impossible for humans to stop but to mitigate risks people need to be prepared for these natural disasters. From the field trip, I learned the way to limit the risk after the natural disasters which mitigate the risks. By following these steps we can manage the risks entangled with these natural disasters This facility had a learning salon which had books about how to save myself during tsunamis and earthquakes. These books have the information which we need to know to tackle natural disasters.

I can see the extent of tsunami flooding in Osaka and details about the locations of the evacuation sites. By following this map we can go to safe place during natural disasters.

This display shows a bag of emergency supplies to take during an evacuation, and examples of the supplies such as water and food that each ousehold should have stored during natural disasters.

On the field trip, I also witnessed how these procedures are being taken and how to follow these instructions which helped to visualize the scenario and how I should follow these steps to reduce risk during natural calamities.

5. Translating Field Trip Insights into Homegrown Solutions
In the future, I aim to assess and align my country’s disaster prevention policies with the insights gained from my field trip, particularly in disaster risk management. Given the scarcity of awareness about natural disasters in my country, I propose revising policies along the lines of Japan’s disaster risk management, especially post-disaster response. Additionally, I aspire to introduce courses on disaster risk management at Dhaka University, my alma mater, to educate students and promote widespread awareness and preparedness.