Japan to share disaster wisdom with the world

Japan to share disaster wisdom with the world

TOKYO - Japan will help other countries train experts on disaster management and prevention under an initiative to be unveiled at an upcoming United Nations conference.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will announce the plan at the UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction opening Saturday in Sendai. The plan is to raise at least 16,000 experts in about five years by offering know-how in building disaster-resilient cities and drafting evacuation plans.

Quake-prone Japan has a wealth of disaster-related technologies and knowledge accumulated over the years.

So far, the country has offered training sessions for government officials from Association of Southeast Asian Nations members. The programme will be expanded to cover Pacific and Caribbean island nations as well as other emerging countries.

Financial aid for building risk-reducing infrastructure will also be increased by several billion dollars. Japan has helped nations construct sea walls, make buildings quake-resistant and set up disaster prediction systems using weather radar. The additional funds will go toward advanced disaster management systems, including those using satellites.

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