Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami

On 11 March 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the north-eastern coast of Japan – the strongest ever recorded in the country – triggered a tsunami of up to 30 meters in height that washed up to 5 kilometers inland, resulting in massive loss of life, environmental devastation and infrastructural damage. The tsunami also damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant, leading to serious risks of contamination from radioactive releases into the environment.

UNEP Update, 11 April 2011

While events are still unfolding, the scale of the disaster is all too apparent: more than 13,000 people are confirmed dead and 14,600 are still missing, making this the worst disaster to hit Japan since the 1923 earthquake. With a preliminary estimated cost of USD 309 billion, it is also the most costly disaster worldwide.

Post-disaster waste management

The total amount of waste has been estimated to be between 80 and 200 million tons – comparable in size to the waste generated by Hurricane Katrina, which cost over USD 3.2 billion to clean up. The shortage of land will further escalate the cost of post-disaster waste management in Japan.

Environmental impacts and risks

• Soil and groundwater: When seawater penetrates far inland, land salinity (and hence agricultural productivity) and shallow groundwater quality (if used for drinking or irrigation) can be affected;
• De-silting of coastal canals: Coastal waterways were fully silted by the tsunami and will need to be drained in order to become operational;
• Water supply and sewage networks: Damage to urban water supply and sewage networks can result in cross contamination, leading to health impacts for the population;
• Coastal ecosystems: Coastal habitats and ecosystems can be destroyed, with implications for livelihoods; and
• Environmental risks of reconstruction: Reconstruction operations can have a significant environmental footprint, particularly if environmental considerations are not taken into account in planning and managing operations such as waste disposal and clean-up.

Immediately after the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on 11 March 2011, UNEP's Executive Director wrote to Japan's Prime Minister and Environment Minister respectively to express his condolences and offer UNEP's assistance and expertise. UNEP has significant first-hand experience in managing the environmental impacts of major disasters and stands ready to assist the Government and people of Japan, if requested.

Radioactive contamination risks