既存の防災研究機関では、地震津波の規模及び発生確率の想定に向けた研究が行われ、防発対策の基本方針の策定に大きく貢献してきました。

一方こうした「自然現象からみた防災」の観点での研究成果を踏まえ、地域ごとの具体的な防災計画を策定するためには「地域住民から見た防災」、つまり地域防災の観点が必要です。

地域の地形、産業構造、歴史・文化などを考慮し、津波に災害に強い（1）施設づくり（2）まちづくりと、地域固有の災害文化を醸成・実践・継承する（3）ひとづくりを機能的に連携させたボトムアップ型防災システムが、ここで提案する地域防災です。

Existing disaster research institutes have studied scales and probability of earthquakes/tsunami, and contributed greatly to the development of fundamental policies for disaster preparedness. While such research outcomes toward disaster management by viewing disaster as a natural phenomenon provide the ground for drafting actual disaster management plans specific to each region, disaster management from the community s perspective or in other words the aspect of regional disaster management must form a core part of the disaster management plans.
The disaster management model that we suggest is a bottom-up disaster management system that takes the geographical traits, industrial composition, history and culture of the region into consideration and creates functional liaisons of 1) facilities and 2) communities that are resistant to tsunami disasters and 3) human resources who create, practice and pass down a disaster culture that is intrinsic to the community.