Japan OKs 20 tril. yen plan for disaster resilient infrastructure
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese government on Friday approved a plan to enhance the disaster resilience of the country's infrastructure over the next five years, with the project expected to cost more than 20 trillion yen ($139 billion).
Focusing on measures to address aging infrastructure, the plan specifies 326 measures to be taken by government bodies from fiscal 2026 through 2030, while regional authorities bear part of the costs.
The approval by the Cabinet comes in light of prolonged water outages following a powerful earthquake that devastated the Noto Peninsula on New Year's Day in 2024, and the formation of a massive sinkhole in Yashio in Saitama Prefecture, neighboring Tokyo, which is believed to have been caused by sewer pipe corrosion.
The contents of the plan will be reflected in the government's budget request for fiscal 2026, the first year of its expected enactment.
According to the plan, 10.6 trillion yen will be allocated for the maintenance of vital services, which include aging infrastructure, such as transportation, communication, and energy.
All sewer pipes with corrosion or damage that could lead to accidents will be repaired by fiscal 2030.
The repair rate of the approximately 92,000 bridges managed by the central and local governments that require urgent attention will be raised from 55 percent in fiscal 2023 to 80 percent in fiscal 2030, with the aim of full completion in fiscal 2051.
Meanwhile, 5.8 trillion yen will be used for disaster prevention infrastructure, including erosion control dams to prevent landslides and river embankments amid increasingly severe flooding caused by climate change.
An additional 1.8 trillion yen goes to enhancing disaster preparedness through measures including installing air conditioners at schools that serve as evacuation centers.
"We will effectively combine hard and soft measures and steadily advance our initiatives," said Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ahead of the Cabinet meeting. "We will complete arranging evacuation center environments as soon as possible."
The plan is a successor to one currently in effect from fiscal 2021 to 2025 and has been enshrined by law. Costs for the current project are approximately 15 trillion yen.
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