Japanese Govt to classify large-scale infrastructure failures as disasters; disaster relief to become available for such incidents

The government will classify large-scale failures in the functions of infrastructure as disasters under its new guidelines for such incidents, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

The pillar of the guidelines is to legally treat incidents in which supplies of electricity, tap water and other essential goods or services are obstructed for prolonged periods of time as natural disasters, enabling the government to swiftly implement administrative action for relief.

The guidelines were compiled at a conference of relevant ministries and agencies in late June.

With cyberattacks becoming increasingly sophisticated, the guidelines aim to provide a way to better deal with any potentially serious impacts on society.

The government aims for the guidelines to cover interruptions to electric power supplies, telecommunication functions and data center operations, among others.

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