Disaster Assessment Streamlining for 2026 Rain and Typhoon Events
Overview
In response to the additional advance announcement of designation as a severe disaster (hon-geki), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will additionally apply “streamlining disaster assessments during large-scale disasters” to agricultural, forestry, and fisheries facilities affected by the sequence of weather events provisionally named the disaster caused by weather phenomena from the 2026 Baiu frontal heavy rains through Typhoon No. 25. Eligible areas are those where the number of reported damaged sites exceeds the average for the past 5 years, excluding hon-geki disasters. The measures raise the ceilings for desk assessments and the amounts subject to deferred adoption, and simplify drawings and other materials in assessment design documents.
Key points
- The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will add areas to the scope of “streamlining disaster assessments during large-scale disasters.”
- Eligible areas are those where the number of damaged sites exceeds the average for the past 5 years, excluding hon-geki disasters.
- The streamlining will support the early restoration of damaged facilities and the recovery of affected areas.
Overview
The eligible disaster is provisionally named “the disaster caused by a sequence of weather phenomena from the 2026 Baiu frontal heavy rains through Typhoon No. 25.” This measure follows an additional advance announcement of designation as a severe disaster (hon-geki).
Impact
Raising the desk-assessment ceiling will reduce the number of on-site investigations and shorten assessment periods, while raising the deferred-adoption amount will reduce the number of cases deferred and enable work to begin earlier. Simplifying drawings and photographs will also shorten the time needed to prepare assessment materials. These measures will reduce the work and time required for disaster assessments by affected local governments and others, supporting the early restoration of damaged facilities and the recovery of affected areas.
Details
Eligible facilities include facilities under the Provisional Measures Act (farmland, agricultural facilities, forest roads, and facilities for joint use in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries) and facilities under the Public Works Cost Sharing Act (coastal areas, facilities to prevent forest land degradation, landslide prevention facilities, and fishing ports).
The desk-assessment ceiling will be raised from less than 5 million yen for facilities under the Provisional Measures Act and less than 10 million yen for facilities under the Public Works Cost Sharing Act to amounts covering approximately 70% of estimated assessments (90% for farmland and agricultural facilities). The deferred-adoption amount will be raised from 200 million yen or more for facilities under the Provisional Measures Act and 400 million yen or more for facilities under the Public Works Cost Sharing Act to amounts covering approximately 60% of cases deferred above 200 million yen and 400 million yen, respectively. Aerial photographs, representative cross-sectional drawings, and other materials will be used in design documents.
Eligible areas are listed by facility category: farmland, agricultural facilities, forest roads, joint-use facilities (agriculture-related and fisheries-related), coastal areas (agriculture-related), facilities to prevent forest land degradation, landslide prevention facilities (agriculture-related), and fishing ports. They are calculated from damage reports as of October 8, 2026; based on subsequent investigations, facilities outside the eligible categories and areas outside the eligible zones may also be included as necessary.
A desk assessment is a disaster assessment, normally conducted through an on-site investigation, that is carried out using documents alone. Deferred adoption means that when the estimated project cost is at least a specified amount, project adoption is decided by the ministry headquarters rather than on site.