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On May 25, 2021, the Prime Minister held the 40th meeting of the Central Disaster Management Council at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
At the meeting, the revision of the Basic Disaster Management Plan, etc., the Disaster Preparedness Drill Plan for fiscal year 2021, and the amendment to the guidelines for the administration of the Central Disaster Management Council were approved.

Based on the approval at the meeting, the Prime Minister said,
 
 “I express my appreciation to you for your attendance at the meeting of the Central Disaster Management Council, despite your busy schedule.
 
Large-scale natural disasters have frequently occurred, including the Heavy Rain Event of July 2020, heavy snowfall last winter, and the earthquake with the epicenter off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture in February this year. Despite the prolonged impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), we must not allow for any smallest gap in disaster response, and we must make all possible preparations while preventing the spread of infections in evacuation shelters and other places.
 
It is our mission to minimize the number of people affected by disasters. The Central Disaster Management Council has fully committed itself to disaster response in collaboration among the Government, local municipalities, and the private sector, drawing on the experience and lessons obtained to date. In addition, the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act and related laws were revised and the amendments came into force on the 20th.
 
Against this backdrop, we took this opportunity to revise the Basic Disaster Management Plan, including the review of the system within the Government, the organization of evacuation information such as the evacuation warning, countermeasures against infectious diseases in evacuation shelters and other places, and the expansion of disaster management measures that incorporate the perspective of women.
 
Moreover, as the Disaster Preparedness Drill Plan for fiscal year 2021 was approved, the national and local governments will conduct disaster drills based on the revised Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act, measures against COVID-19, and other matters.
 
Based on today’s decisions, I request each minister to steadily promote the further improvement and strengthening of disaster management and mitigation measures. In particular, the rainy season has already started earlier than in an average year in wide areas, ranging from the Okinawa region to the Tokai region. In light of the recent intensification of disasters, I also request each minister to make full preparations for disaster response with a heightened sense of urgency.”