An Individual Evacuation Plan (IEP) framework in Japan designed specifically for individuals with special needs who require assistance during natural hazards.
Map
Japan Special Needs Evacuation Plan
General Information
A structured system where Japanese municipalities and welfare institutions create personalized evacuation strategies for vulnerable people, verified through inclusive drills and coordinated with local support networks.
High incidence of natural hazards and a 2021 regulatory change in Japan requiring welfare institutions to create individual plans for those needing support.
Hazard Type
Geographical Scope - Nuts
Population Size
Population Density
Needs Addressed
The need for specialized assistance during evacuations that general plans do not sufficiently cover for individuals with functional needs.
Persons with functional needs who require specialized assistance during an evacuation.
Coordination between client, family, social workers, administrative staff, NGOs, and neighbors.
Mandatory identification lists, functional assessments, and individual plans verified through drills.
Integration of welfare institutions and municipality administrative lists.
To build personal relationships between residents with and without disabilities while ensuring safety.
Professional assessments, coordination meetings with all relevant actors, and inclusive evacuation drills.
Users and their families actively participate in meetings to define specific help roles.
Fosters personal relationships and trust between neighbors and those with special needs.
Vulnerable Groups
Governance
Emergency Preparedness
Infrastructure Readiness
Engagement Level
Empowerment Level
Implementation
Integration of professional social work into disaster planning and the mandatory nature of individual-level plans.
Japanese
Japanese Municipalities and Welfare Institutions.
Long history of managing natural hazards and updated 2021 legal mandates.
Social workers, family members, welfare professionals, administrative staff, NGOs, and neighbors.
- Identify individuals.
- Professional functional assessment.
- Stakeholder coordination meeting.
- Draft IEP.
- Verify through drills.
- Adapt/Adopt.
Professional expertise (social workers), community volunteers (neighbors), and administrative oversight.
Ongoing process from identification to verification/adaptation through drills.
Experience of the Implementing Organisation in DRM
Resources Required
Timeframe & Phases
Participation Results
Individual planning creates essential social bonds and drills are necessary to confirm plan viability.
Addresses the specific functional needs of each individual rather than applying a "one size fits all" approach.
Individual plans are verified and adapted based on the outcomes of inclusive drills.
Risk & Mitigation Plan
Scalability and Sustainability
Driven by national regulatory changes and mandatory municipal requirements.
Applicable to any welfare-state context where social workers and municipal records are present.
Mandatory digital/administrative lists for identifying support needs.
Staff time for social workers and administrative management.
Costs associated with conducting regular inclusive drills.
Coordination between diverse actors (family, NGOs, neighbors) is key to a functional individual plan.