GHreat East Japan Earthquake
The scale of the disaster was apparent: immediately following the earthquake more than 13,000 people were confirmed dead and 14,600 were missing, making this the worst disaster to hit Japan since the 1923 earthquake. With a preliminary estimated cost of USD 309 billion, it was, at the time, also the most costly disaster worldwide. Along with the unresolved situation at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant and pressing humanitarian issues linked to the large number of displaced and dispossessed, the management of the massive amounts of debris generated by the earthquake and tsunami was identified by the Government of Japan as an immediate challenge.
The scale of the disaster was apparent: immediately following the earthquake more than 13,000 people were confirmed dead and 14,600 were missing, making this the worst disaster to hit Japan since the 1923 earthquake. With a preliminary estimated cost of USD 309 billion, it was, at the time, also the most costly disaster worldwide. Along with the unresolved situation at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant and pressing humanitarian issues linked to the large number of displaced and dispossessed, the management of the massive amounts of debris generated by the earthquake and tsunami was identified by the Government of Japan as an immediate challenge.