Breaking Administrative Silos and Enhancing Vulnerable Support: A Post-Earthquake Strategy for Disaster Response in Aging Communities

The 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake exposed significant challenges in disaster response within Ishikawa Prefecture, largely due to horizontal and hierarchical siloed administrations. These siloizations hindered effective coordination, particularly in providing comprehensive support to vulnerable populations such as the elderly and disabled. The rigid division of responsibilities between the prefecture and municipalities further slowed response efforts. To address these issues, the establishment of a special unit for coordinated disaster response was recommended, focusing on bridging administrative gaps.

While progress has been made in wide-area evacuation strategies through the creation of intermediary centers, challenges remain in effectively supporting vulnerable individuals. The needs of the "hidden vulnerable" demographic—those not easily identified but at high risk—have been particularly difficult to address. However, emergent NGO networks have played a vital role in disaster recovery, deploying specialized professionals and highlighting the importance of collaboration between government agencies and civil society.

In Okunoto, the earthquake exacerbated pre-existing social and economic disparities, particularly in the reintegration of evacuated elderly and disabled individuals. The proposal to incorporate long-term care facilities into new housing developments, such as temporary and public housing complexes, has been put forward as a sustainable solution. This approach would provide more efficient care for an aging population and address the logistical challenges posed by remote areas. However, this strategy requires significant public investment and intergenerational consensus to transition towards more compact, accessible settlements, especially as the region faces the dual pressures of hyper-aging and population decline.

In summary, addressing administrative siloization, enhancing support for vulnerable populations, and fostering government-civil society collaboration are critical for improving disaster response in hyper-aging regions like Okunoto.