ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates the interconnected nature of human security threats by examining the impact of natural disasters on the health of older people. It has been shown that declining trends in health security were found among those who experienced personal losses and high community destruction. Community security plays a key role in supporting health security in the long term, especially for older people. The concept of 'social capital' has been applied in discussions on the vulnerability of victims, as well as empowerment for post-disaster life reconstruction, and is closely related to community security. The chapter focuses mainly on community security, and looks principally at the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, which occurred in an ageing society. One of the major features of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami was that it affected areas with a large number of elderly 26.8 per cent of Iwate Prefecture's population was 65 years old or older in 2009.
