Systems analysis of the impacts of energy supply shortage in Kamaishi for resilience building after Great East Japan Earthquake

Abstract: The Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami hit coastal cities in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures of Tohoku Region devastating the energy supply system in the region. Following electricity outage and fuel shortages caused severe problems in the city of Kamaishi varying from lack of mobility, communication, heating to reduced health conditions. It is important to build resilience of communities in disaster-prone areas to cope with the problem, meaning that they are able to manage energy supply shortage for themselves right after natural disaster. Resilience building against natural disasters would contribute to sustain safety, sense of security, social connections and social institution of the communities. However, it requires of better understanding of the concept of resilience and the complex interactions in social - energy supply system. This thesis, aims to analyze the impacts of the earthquake and the tsunami on local energy supply system in Kamaishi City by; i) clarifying what energy services were in need when there was a shortage in energy supply right after the disaster by performing semi-structured interviews; and ii) identifying and analyzing causes and effects of the energy supply shortage at local level when the disaster occurred by applying systems thinking and causal loop diagramming. Suggested alternative potential measures in tackling energy supply shortages and in preparing future disaster risk reduction plans from resilience perspective are expected to be use of both policy makers and individuals. Based on these works, the thesis makes an attempt of developing causal loop diagramming as learning tool and decision support tool to build resilience of communities against natural disasters.