Why Fukushima was preventable

This paper argues that the Fukushima plant would have withstood the tsunami had its design previously been upgraded in accordance with state-of-the-art safety approaches. It asserts that the analysis of past tsunami was insufficient and that Japan did not adequately prepare for the possibility of power failures at nuclear plants, while European countries significantly enhanced their plants' defenses after a flooding incident at a French nuclear plant in 1999 and the US took similar action after the 9/11 attacks.

The paper describes: (i) the accident sequence; (ii) identifying key questions; (iii) underestimating the threat; (iv) predicting disaster; (v) a missed opportunity; (vi) how could the plant have been protected; (vii) international best practices, including protection against severe flooding and tsunami risk assessment; and (viii) why weren't these practices and actions carried out at Fukushima Daiichi.