by DRONELIFE Staff Author Ian J. McNabb
JUIDA, the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association, recently announced their participation in relief efforts after the recent Noto Peninsula earthquakes in early January 2024. After receiving a request from Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture on January 4th, (3 days after the magnitude 7.5 earthquake had struck the isolated peninsula north of Honshu), JUIDA began disaster recovery operations corresponding to search and rescue and infrastructure inspection with the support of member corporations Blue Innovations and Liberaware.
![](https://dronelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Damage_of_2023_Noto_earthquake_swarm_01.jpeg)
内閣府ホームページ利用規約, CC BY 4.0
UAS operations were key to early on-the-ground efforts within the peninsula, where landslides left many rural villages isolated from relief efforts. Japanese cargo drone maker Skydrive partnered with the Japan Self-Defense Force to conduct surveillance and provide operations to envision in on isolated villages and help deliver obligatory supplies, while other firms partnered with the Department of Industry to envision on crucial port infrastructure vital to the local fishing economy.
As well as, drones were used to scout locations for emergency housing, including ongoing monitoring for future structural damage, and assess the impact of landslides on roads and bridges. On January eighth, a drone operated by Aeronext delivered vital medication to an isolated evacuation center on the Kusu Elementary School, the primary time in Japan that a drone had been used to deliver drugs to a disaster-stricken area. Other medical supply missions included trips to Musu Elementary and the Nishio Community Center while crews worked to revive road access.
JUIDA acted as an important hub throughout the method, distributing resources and orchestrating operations between the numerous firms involved in partnership with the JSDF. A full list of all the businesses involved, together with a more detailed description of their activities, is on the market here (in Japanese).
Read more in regards to the potential for drones as first responders within the context of the Noto earthquakes here.