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Japan has again entered its rainy season, a time when floods are frequently caused by heavy rains.

In the past few years, several large-scale flood disasters have struck Japan. Civic Force is strengthening its disaster response activities in Kyushu, a particularly vulnerable region, by building a disaster assistance mechanism based in Saga. As part of the initiative, Civic Force launched a crowdfunding project through Furusato Nozei on May 27, 2021. Saga specialities and relief items including food and hygiene kits are available as thank-you gifts. The project is aiming to raise JPY1,000,000 and will remain open until August 24, 2021.

Government Crowdfunding Overview

「Building Disaster Response Hub in Kyushu」
https://www.furusato-tax.jp/gcf/1240

Why Saga?

Although Saga has been battered in recent years, Saga has traditionally been less affected by natural disasters compared to other areas of Kyushu. Conveniently located in northwestern Kyushu, Saga is a center for major highways and railways. Saga Airport allows emergency teams to refuel their helicopter and airplane at the airport and respond quickly to disasters..

In addition, Saga has many active NGOs which facilitates partnership building during non-emergency times and collaboration in emergencies. The municipality is supportive of CSOs through Furusato Nozei and is keen on building partnerships.

Having established a disaster response hub in Kyushu, Civic Force is merging with its partner organization, A-PAD Japan. This merger will allow us to bring greater impact in disaster response in Kyushu.

Furusato Nozei in Saga

Furusato Nozei is a government crowdfunding, donation scheme to support your hometown ("Furusato") and other municipalities of your choice.

Eligible residents can receive tax deductions for income and residence taxes in the following year.

"Because thank you gifts are procured and sent out by each participating organization, Saga Prefecture can minimize costs and distribute the funds to each NPO. We support self-led community building," said a Saga Prefecture staff member.

Building partnerships during non-emergency times is critical to rapid emergency response. Civic Force's goal is to establish an emergency response mechanism for future disasters in Kyushu by strengthening partnerships with local municipalities and other aid organizations.

For more details