Three Years After a Mega-disaster: Recovery Policies, Programs and Implementation After the Great East Japan Earthquake - Post-Tsunami Hazard: Reconstruction and Restoration - page 35

3.2.2 Recovery Phase Two: Setting the Stage

for Implementation

In February 2012 - 11 months after the GEJE and tsunami disaster - the national
Reconstruction Agency took over the responsibility of leading recovery as the
successor to the Reconstruction Design Council. The Agency is authorized to operate
for 10 years, and is primarily responsible for coordinating the recovery budget and
reconstruction procedures among various national-level ministries that oversee
different reconstruction projects (Reconstruction Agency 2012a ). It also aims to
serve as a focal agency in administering recovery activities so that the administrative
procedures to implement the different reconstruction programs could be reduced for
affected local governments.
The Reconstruction Agency supervises two types of reconstruction approaches
used by local governments. The fi rst type includes 40 selected programs that relate
to basic infrastructure rebuilding and are monitored by fi ve relevant national-level
ministries. The collective relocation program, land readjustment and raising
program, and public housing program for disaster victims are all included in this
type (Reconstruction Agency 2012b ). The second type allows local governments to
apply to the Agency with different ideas that are related to the 40 defi ned programs
(Cabinet offi ce 2013 ). This type of approach was introduced in early 2013 as a
response to criticism about the infl exible nature of the national recovery funds.
Since then, local governments have been applying for and implementing this type of
approach for projects such as evacuation route construction, rebuilding workshop
activities, and any other programs necessary for the local areas. Local governments,
however, need to bear 20 % of the total cost used for implementing projects through
this approach. At the same time, the cost cannot exceed 35 % of the budgets allocated
though the principal programs. The Reconstruction Agency also manages recovery
funds for other types of programs, in collaboration with responsible ministries.
Construction of levees and break waters are examples of these. In January 2013, the
Reconstruction Agency estimated that project implementation in the fi rst 5 years of
recovery would cost about 23.5 trillion yen (US$ 235 billion). Based on this fi gure,
the national government has committed about 25 trillion yen (US$ 250 billion) for
rebuilding in the 5-year period (Reconstruction Agency 2013a ).
During this phase, a system to apply and receive national recovery funds was
also established. The procedure includes several exchanges among local govern-
ments, relevant ministries, and the Reconstruction Agency. Local governments
submit applications to the Reconstruction Agency and to qualify for evaluation
these applications need to include detailed designs and implementation plans for the
targeted programs. The Reconstruction Agency facilitates the funding decisions and
allocations with relevant ministries, and notifi es local governments about the
approval decisions and funding amounts. There are no limitations on the number of
applications local governments can submit. So, the additional experiences, even if
they are rejected, have helped local governments learn techniques for getting
approval. The application window has been opened nine times so far, and the most