Italy: Earthquake Trial
(Sept. 29, 2011) On September 20, 2011, the trial of six Italian scientists and a former government official on charges of manslaughter for the 2009 earthquake in L'Aquila began. The 6.3 magnitude quake killed 309 people on April 6 two years ago and devastated the city and several other villages in the region of Abruzzo. […]
Contributor:
Atwill, Nicole
Date:2011-09-29
Article
Italy: Additional Earthquake Relief
(May 8, 2017) On April 11, 2017, new legislation approving urgent measures to assist earthquake victims entered into effect in Italy. (Law No. 45 of April 7, 2017, Converting into Law, with Amendments, Decree-Law No. 8 of February 9, 2017, Concerning New Urgent Measures Benefitting the Population Hit by Earthquakes in the Years 2016 and […]
Contributor:
Figueroa, Dante
Date:2017-05-08
Article
Pakistan: Earthquake Damage Reconstruction Authority
(Dec. 2, 2007) On July 12, 2007, the Government of Pakistan issued the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority Ordinance, 2007, establishing the autonomous Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA). The authority will be responsible for carrying out surveys to assess damage and implement future planning in the affected areas. It will also formulate comprehensive development […]
Contributor:
Nehra, Krishan
Date:2007-12-02
Article
Italy: Government Measures in Response to Earthquakes
(June 4, 2012) On May 29, 2012, northern Italy suffered its second earthquake in a little over a week; in all, the disasters caused the deaths of about 24 people. (Death Toll from Italy Earthquake Rises, CNN (May 30, 2012).) On May 30, the Italian Council of Ministers proclaimed June 4 to be a national […]
Contributor:
Johnson, Constance
Date:2012-06-04
Article
New Zealand: Legislation to Streamline Earthquake Recovery Efforts Passed
(Sept. 20, 2010) The Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Act 2010 was introduced and passed by the New Zealand Parliament on September 14, 2010, ten days after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake caused widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure in the region. (New Zealand Parliamentary Library, Bills Digest No. 1805, Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Bill […]
Contributor:
Buchanan, Kelly
Date:2010-09-20
Article
Italy: Legislative Measures in Aid of Earthquake Victims
(Dec. 30, 2016) On December 18, 2016, new legislation aimed at providing assistance to earthquake victims and aid for the restoration of damaged property entered into effect in Italy. (Law No. 229 of December 15, 2016, Conversion into Law, with Amendments, of Decree-Law No. 189 of October 17, 2016, Concerning Urgent Interventions to Benefit the […]
Contributor:
Figueroa, Dante
Date:2016-12-30
Article
Japan: Catastrophic Disaster Response Activated Following Hokkaido Earthquake
(Sept. 27, 2018) Japan’s northern island, Hokkaido, was hit by a powerful earthquake on September 6, 2018, causing people great suffering from the disruption of their normal lives and severe economic damage. (Haruka Nuga, Death Toll Rises, Flights Resume, Power Back in Japan Quake, AP NEWS (Sept. 8, 2018).) Prime Minister Abe announced on September […]
Contributor:
Umeda, Sayuri
Date:2018-09-27
Article
Italy: New Law Aiding Reconstruction Following Earthquakes Takes Effect
(May 10, 2019) On April 19, 2019, new legislation on public procurement and on aiding the recovery of areas hit by earthquakes entered into force in Italy. (Decree Law No. 32, Urgent Provisions for Revitalizing the Public Contracts Sector, [and] for Accelerating Infrastructure Interventions, Urban Regeneration and Reconstruction After Seismic Events) (D.L. No. 32), GAZZETTA […]
Contributor:
Figueroa, Dante
Date:2019-05-10
Article
China: Law on Earthquake Prevention and Disaster Relief Amended
(Jan. 13, 2009) On December 27, 2008, the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress passed amendments to the Law on Protecting Against and Mitigating Disasters from Earthquakes, which was adopted more than ten years ago on December 29, 1997. The amended Law will be effective on May 1, 2009. The number of articles in […]
Contributor:
Zeldin, Wendy
Date:2009-01-13
Article
Turkey: State of Emergency Declared in Provinces Struck by Earthquake
On February 9, 2023, Turkey’s unicameral legislature, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (GNA), approved a decision by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to declare a state of emergency in the 10 provinces most affected by the earthquakes that occurred on February 6, 2023. The GNA’s approval of the decree was published in the official gazette … Continue reading “Turkey: State of Emergency Declared in…
Contributor:
Cantekin, Kayahan
Date:2023-02-16
Article
Japan: New Law to Expand Legal Aid for Earthquake Victims
(May 7, 2012) After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, many people in the Tohoku region of Japan have faced various legal problems, such as the right to succession from quake victims, to obtain special relief from housing loans for destroyed houses, and to seek damages stemming from the nuclear disaster. A new law has […]
Japan: Legal Responses to Disaster Waste Management Issues
(Mar. 23, 2012) There has been some controversy in Japan connected with the plans for handling the large quantity of waste generated by last year's earthquake and tsunami. Background The Great East Japan Earthquake and ensuing tsunami of March 11, 2011, killed more than 15,800 people and destroyed cities and villages along the eastern coastline […]
Contributor:
Umeda, Sayuri
Date:2012-03-23
Article
Japan: New Permissible Levels of Radioactivity in Foods
(Apr. 9, 2012) There were no legally binding standards for acceptable levels of radioactivity in food in Japan when the Great East Japan Earthquake hit the country in March 2011. The Food Sanitation Law, however, had a provision that prohibits the sale, use, or supply of foods that are poisonous or harmful for human consumption. […]
Contributor:
Umeda, Sayuri
Date:2012-04-09
Article
European Union: Response to Catastrophic Events in Japan
(Mar. 31, 2011) In the aftermath of the earthquake that hit Japan on March 11, 2011, the European Union set in motion a number of measures in an effort to assist the Japanese government to deal with the unfolding crisis. Following a request for assistance on March 15, 2011, by Japan, a number of EU […]
Contributor:
Papademetriou, Theresa
Date:2011-03-31
Article
Japan: Law on Making Local Areas Resistant to Tsunamis
(Feb. 13, 2012) When a major tsunami hit the country's east coast in March 2011, Japan had various laws concerning earthquakes, but there was no law that mainly addressed tsunami countermeasures. The largest non-ruling coalition (comprised of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komei party) had submitted a bill for a Law Concerning Promotion of […]
Contributor:
Umeda, Sayuri
Date:2012-02-13
Article
Japan: Law to Support Nuclear Disaster Victims’ Daily Lives
(Oct. 1, 2012) A year after the Fukushima nuclear power plant was hit by a tsunami that was caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, Japan’s legislature enactedthe Act on Special Measures for Fukushima Reconstruction and Revitalization(Act No. 25 of 2012, Mar. 30, 2012). The Act obligates the government to implement measures […]
Contributor:
Umeda, Sayuri
Date:2012-10-01
Article
Italy: Prosecutors Investigate Quake Damage with a View to Charges
(Apr. 16, 2009) The Public Prosecutor's Office in Italy has begun investigation into the damage that resulted from the April 2009 earthquake, in which nearly 300 people died and there was a great deal of damage to structures. The concern is that some of the buildings that collapsed on victims might have been made using […]
Contributor:
Johnson, Constance
Date:2009-04-16
Article
China: White Paper on Disaster Relief
(June 10, 2009) The Information Office of China's State Council (Cabinet) issued the White Paper on Disaster Relief on May 11, 2009, marking the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan Province and coinciding with the first Disaster Prevention and Reduction Day, held on May 12, to commemorate the quake. The six chapters […]
Italy: Measures to Address Seismic Risks Approved
On June 30, 2024, Decree-Law No. 91 of July 2, 2024 (D.L. No. 91), which approves urgent measures for the prevention of risks resulting from the seismic phenomena that occurred in areas of southern Italy in May 2024, entered into effect. Background Bradyseism is “a ground deformation involving slow lowering (subsidence) phases alternating with more rapid uplift … Continue reading “Italy: Measures to Address…
Contributor:
Figueroa, Dante
Date:2024-10-02
Article
China: Economic Stimulus Plan Unveiled
(Dec. 24, 2008) On November 9, 2008, the State Council of China announced a plan to increase domestic demand and stimulate economic growth, by investing an estimated four trillion renminbi (about US$585 billion) in ten areas by the end of 2010, as a response to the global financial crises. This plan, however, is not comparable […]
Contributor:
Zhang, Laney
Date:2008-12-24
Article
Italy: Updated Legislation on Territorial Entities and their Financial Stability
(July 22, 2015) On June 20, 2015, Decree-Law No. 78, on sub-national territorial entities, entered into effect in Italy. (Decree-Law No. 78 of June 19, 2015, Urgent Provisions on Territorial Entities [D.L. No. 78], GAZETTA UFFICIALE, No. 140 (June 19, 2015), NORMATTIVA (in Italian).) Fresh Funds for Disaster Relief The new legislation approves the goals […]
Contributor:
Figueroa, Dante
Date:2015-07-22
Article
Germany: Coal Mining Subsidies
(Apr. 2, 2008) On December 12, 2007, the President of Germany promulgated the Act to Finance the Termination of Subsidized Coal Mining by 2018 (BUNDESGESETZBLATT I at 3086). The Act is the result of an agreement between the German Federal Government and the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland, where the German hard coal mines […]
