Social Needs for Disaster Mitigation with Emphasis on Slope Disasters

This chapter discusses the financial aspects of disaster mitigation with emphasis on the residents’ attitude. The past cases show that much financial support is not available because there are many other issues that are urgent for the welfare of people and the operation of public sector. This negative attitude is promoted by an important issue called optimism or normalcy bias that underestimates the extent of hazard until it happens. This psychological feature exists both among individuals and the public sector, and lets them refrain from expenditures and efforts to take necessary actions in advance. In this regard, the slope stabilization in advance is not a popular choice unless special funding is available. To reduce the damage caused by landslide disasters, field monitoring and early warning for evacuation are feasible measures. Moreover, the past experiences suggest that field monitoring makes it possible to judge the extent of risk after the cease of heavy rain.