This UNEP report forms part of a series that will be developed on the interlinkages between environmental management and disaster preparedness. Lessons learnt and the environmental know-how that reduce the vulnerability and risks will be covered in future reports, including measures relevant both at the national and local levels. The overall lesson emerging from this study is clear “ a number of good environmental management measures are in place in Japan, as in many countries, but these have to be studied in greater detail, in light of the needs of disaster management. It is imperative that environmental knowledge is integrated into the prediction, prevention, risk reduction, assessment and response policies.