Study on the relationship between post-disaster operating status of establishments and urban reconstruction projects and regulations in tsunami-affected urban areas: Analysis of establishments affected by tsunami due to the Great East Japan Earthquake by individual panel data from Economic Census

While urban reconstruction projects and land use regulations were implemented in each area affected by the tsunami following the Great East Japan Earthquake, concerns were raised regarding the impact of these projects and regulations on the industry sector. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between business recovery and post-disaster urban planning, such as urban reconstruction projects and disaster risk area designations. We developed chronological panel data of establishment units before and after the disaster using individual data from Economic Census, inundation range data, urban reconstruction project zone data, and disaster risk area data. Cross-tabulation tables and independence tests were conducted using the panel data. The results indicate that for establishments inundated to a depth of at least 1 m located outside the disaster risk area, the survival rate was significantly lower for those inside the urban reconstruction project area. For establishments outside the urban reconstruction project area, the survival rate was significantly lower for those inside the disaster risk area, for both nonflooded and flooded depths of at least 1 m. The results revealed that besides inundation damage, industry sectors, and numbers of employees, urban reconstruction project implementation and disaster risk area designation were some factors impeding survival.