Some%20Lessons%20from%20Kobe%20earthquake%20Sep.%2023,%201999

1
Some Lessonsfrom Kobe earthquakeSep. 23, 1999

• Izumi Aizu
• Asia Network Research
• www.anr.org

2
Kobe Quake and the Net

• The Net used for information sharing
• It did not help save lives directly
• It helped people understand the situation
• It helped information to flow globally
• It helped information controlled by main actors,
  people, not media themselves
• It helped coordinate many voluntary actions

3
Internet connectivity

• Academic Net local NOC went down
• Natl Univ. of Kobe could not restore
• City Univ. could restore soon
• Decided to change routing without approval
• City government used the site
• Mirror site started in Osaka Nara
• They could not handle massive traffic
• Kobe City Univ. could by 480MB of memory

4
ISPs around Kobe

• Most POPs were damaged
• Telco (NTT) did not give priorities
• Many Free special web-sites, links, and bulletin
  boards offered by ISP/Online services
• Fund-raising online

5
Kobe City Government

• Multimedia Promotion Project was already in
  place before the quake,
• City had its own website (for tourism)
• Decided to cover disaster directly
• Took video pictures, convert into digital,
  uploaded to the web on the 2nd day
• Focus provide accurate, objective information to
  the world, overcome sensational, negative
  coverage by Press

6
Kobe City Government(contd)

• Skills already acquired
• Individual efforts led the works
• Many responses from overseas
• Long-lasting effort

7
Information about damages

• Provide comprehensive data, not partial
• Objective, not biased
• Status information about damages
• telephone, power, gas, etc.
• All names of victims, on Internet
• legal procedure? responsibility?
• voluntary effort
• character code sets / graphic image
• Names of survivors (privacy consideration needed)

8
Information to Support Support Works

• Inquiry numbers
• Logistical support, know-hows
• what are needed
• how to send
• Information for citizens
• official documentation,
• schedule of events, etc.
• Mental support/health

9
Information Volunteer

• Acted as intermediary
• made copies of notices, flyers, then distributed
  by bikes, etc.
• Relay critical information to the
  homeless/damaged people in shelters
• These people want to know whats going on?,
  when? etc. but has little measures
• They dont have access to the Net

10
Bottom-up journalism

• Some started to report on their own over the Net
  regularly
• Not relying on mass-media
• More local, personal and human
• Stories, not only facts
• Tried to encourage people