Japan’s New Disaster Management Strategy

Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) is harnessing the power of drones to manage heavy rain disasters. They recently conducted a successful drone test flight that lasted over three hours to understand better areas at risk of sediment-related incidents and river overflow.

The day was filled with anticipation as the drone, capable of an 11-hour flight through a gasoline-powered generator, completed its three-hour mission. Hisanobu Sato, an MLIT technical adviser, said, “Previously, we had to transport drones close to the disaster site. But we can fly this drone directly to the disaster site.”

On May 21, in Sakura Ward, Saitama City, MLIT carried out a successful trial, marking the first time a drone maintained a continuous flight for over three hours.

These drones, equipped with laser sensors, flew at Level 3, signifying autonomous flight beyond the visual range of operators. The sensor data formed three-dimensional…