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On 15 April, SEEDS Asia launched a new project office in the Naganuma district of Nagano city. The district was seriously affected by Typhoon Hagibis in 2019. During interviews conducted by SEEDS Asia as a part of a needs assessment survey right after the disaster, its residents shared their concern that their hometown could potentially “disappear” due to the devastation brought about by the typhoon.

A year and half have passed since the disaster and individual residents as well as the entire community have been forced to make tough choices and forge plans for disaster recovery, which particularly requires listening to the voices of each and every one of the community’s residents and incorporating them in planning processes.

Since 2020, as a part of the project, SEEDS Asia has provided tablets and WiFi devices to the District Disaster Recovery Planning Committee and organized an online lecture series with the help of experts in various fields from different parts of Japan. This initiative has made us understand the potentials of a twin approach to project implementation – firstly, to carry it out remote via online protocols, and secondly through more traditional a local project presence. The second approach especially addresses the challenge of not being able to be present in the community to talk to the people. With this in mind, we were determined that a physical presence was indeed required in Naganuma, and a project office was opened to better interact with the local community.

By being physically close to the people of Nagano, SEEDS Asia hopes to be better able to help the local community in their recovery from the disaster, as well as prepare for future ones. With the current COVID crisis still underway, SEEDS Asia members have ensured that they are COVID-negative before travelling to the district. Also, strict infection prevention measures have been put in place, including exploring the work-from-home protocols in Kansai area.