In the early 2010s, numerous natural disasters occurred around the world. With the Great East Japan Earthquake, Hurricane Sandy in New York, and the typhoons that ripped through the Philippines and other Asian countries, the threat of these natural occurrences is increasing. Natural disasters such as these can, in an instant, take away people’s lives, their property, and their hard-earned achievements. Further, it is said that 90% of the victims of these natural disasters are citizens of developing countries. Today, as globalization drives the international movement of people, things, and capital, natural disasters don’t only affect the damaged areas—their impacts are immediately felt across the world. In developing nations, natural disasters are a huge obstacle to poverty reduction and sustainable development.^*1, ^*2

The heavy rains that fell on mainland Southeast Asia in 2011 led to historic flooding, and caused particular damage in Thailand, which was undergoing significant industrialization. The damage from these floods continued for several months. Rapid progress in the creation of industrial and urban areas in Thailand had led to a sudden decrease in paddy fields, which had previously helped to mitigate flooding. The ensuing drop in water retention capacity was thought to be one of the causes of the flooding. Rainfall exceeded water storage capacity, and large volumes of water were discharged from dams to avoid their collapse. Further, a flat terrain and gently sloping rivers made the country particularly susceptible to flooding.

Kubota’s role in the recovery efforts was to develop a pump that could quickly drain water from seven industrial zones in the north of the country’s capital, Bangkok. Approximately 450 Japanese companies in Thailand—equivalent to one-third of all Japanese companies in the country—had sustained significant damage from the floods, and so the Japanese government decided to deploy the JICA-led Japan Disaster Relief Expert Team to provide recovery support. Kubota’s newly developed drainage pumps were dispatched alongside the team. In addition to significant power, these pumps had to fit onto vehicles and be incredibly lightweight to ensure they could be installed and removed by the emergency workers. The resulting drain pump vehicles combined an approximately 30 kg pump and a power generator, and boasted unprecedented autonomy and maneuverability.

The pump vehicles in action at the Rojana Industrial Park operated 24 hours a day for seven days in a row in scorching temperatures exceeding 30°C. Kubota then continued to undertake drainage work in the local area for approximately one month. During the flooding, the water purification plants in these industrial zones had been damaged, and industrial water supplies had been cut off. In response, Kubota donated water purification units equipped with power generators to the government of Thailand. In securing industrial water to clean the inside of factories and clean and repair factory equipment, Kubota supported smooth recovery activities within the industrial parks.

Since its founding, Kubota has sought to manufacture products that are beneficial to society. As can be seen in the company’s international cooperation activities, this mindset continues today. Through the development and provision of water infrastructure that can help nations prepare for natural disasters and aid reconstruction and recovery, Kubota is helping countries in Asia and the rest of the world become stronger against disasters.