Implementation of evacuation measures during natural disasters under conditions of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic based on a review of previous responses to complex disasters in Japan

Abstract

We aimed to investigate how evacuation measures could be effectively implemented in the event of multiple disasters caused by natural hazards under conditions of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) pandemic, which is rapidly spreading worldwide. We conducted a review of literature focusing on complex disasters, entailing natural disasters in combination of outbreaks or endemics of infectious diseases. Using the Google Scholar search engine, we identified and reviewed 24 papers sourced from academia, governments, and concerned organizations, and associated data on such disasters, commencing with the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, which occurred in 1995. In light of our review, we developed a summary of correspondences and problems linked to compound disasters involving conjunctions of outbreaks/endemics and natural disasters that could offer insights for developing measures to deal with natural disasters that occur in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We subsequently attempted to differentiate the characteristics of evacuation measures relating to COVID-19 from those relating to other infectious diseases using three sets of extracted keywords: (1) surveillance and information sharing, (2) evacuation center environment and stockpiled supplies, and (3) community disaster risk reduction and community leadership. We identified issues relating to evacuation measures that would need to be explored further to improve disaster management and preparedness in the future.

Perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan with respect to cultural, information, disaster and social issues

“…One of the main ideas was to reduce crowding in evacuation shelters and to encourage residents not to evacuate (stay at home evacuation) if they were actually safe (i.e., based on hazard maps) or to choose alternative evacuation destinations (i.e., friends' or relatives' houses, hotels, and department stores) [ 10 ]. Several guidelines for managing evacuation shelters have been published by both the central government [ 11 ] and local governments [ 12 , 13 ], and scientific articles and reports have also been produced [ 14 , 15 ]. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) developed guidelines for tsunami evacuation during the COVID-19 pandemic that reflected recent disasters, disaster drills, and evacuation guidelines in Japan [ 16 ].…”

Multi-Hazard Emergency Response for Geological Hazards Amid the Evolving COVID-19 Pandemic: Good Practices and Lessons Learned from Earthquake Disaster Management in Greece

“…The proposed approach constitutes a combination of the aforementioned measures with similar measures that have been applied so far to effectively manage the impact of concurrent crises formed by the simultaneous occurrence of natural and biological hazards, including earthquakes and floods amid the pandemic (e.g., [4,[30][31][32]), and aims to effectively deal with the adverse conditions created when disasters and crises collide to improve disaster management and preparedness in the future.…”

Infectious Diseases Associated with Hydrometeorological Hazards in Europe: Disaster Risk Reduction in the Context of the Climate Crisis and the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic

“…As can be seen from the above, the management of the flood impacts and possible associated infectious disease outbreaks has already been a complex issue and a typical example of multi-hazard management that requires a truly interdisciplinary approach. This issue has become even more complex during the evolving COVID-19 pandemic as many relevant studies and cases around the world show that conflicting issues emerge between response actions and pandemic mitigation measures [ 139 , 140 , 141 , 142 , 143 , 144 , 145 , 146 ]. For example, emergency actions, such as SAR operations among others, require close and frequent contact not only with the flood-affected local population and authorities, but also with other professionals, rescue teams and volunteers from different areas with different epidemiological characteristics.…”