Japan: Businesses step up for disaster preparedness

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"Evacuation insurance" is the brainchild of Katsue Edo, a professor at the Prefectural University of Hiroshima. He developed the product with elderly people living on their own in mind. In the event of an evacuation order, a beneficiary is picked up by taxi and driven to safety.

Some insurance companies are considering the commercialization of evacuation insurance. Professor Edo believes this is an important step to improve disaster preparedness, saying local government measures aren't enough to protect people's lives. He says help from private companies is a must.

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Now some insurance companies are sharing their expertise with municipalities to help them develop disaster response plans.

Aioi Nissei Dowa Insurance Company and Yokohama National University developed a website that uses weather data, such as expected rainfall and wind speed, to make real-time projections on the number of buildings at risk during a natural disaster. The site, which was launched in June, also uses data on the amount of insurance money paid during past disasters.

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