An analysis of the desire to make radiation measurements and to dialogue with experts among the residents of Tomioka town, Fukushima Prefecture: about the implementation of the co-expertise process

Abstract

The article presents a contribution concerning the desire to make radiation measurements and to dialogue with experts among the residents of Tomioka town close to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan at the time of the lifting of the relocation order in 2017. Relying on data from a questionnaire conducted at the same time with approximately 8000 residents aged 20 years or older who lived in Tomioka before the accident, a logistic regression analysis was performed to identify retrospectively the factors having driven these desires. The results shed some light on the motivation of affected people to engage in the co-expertise process implemented in Tomioka by experts from Nagasaki University and local authorities. In essence there are two significant results: (i) the people who have the desire to make radiation measurements are those who are reluctant to eat foods produced in the town and who already had an experience of radiation measurement, (ii) the people who have the desire to dialogue with experts about radiation exposure and health effects are above 60 years old and are reluctant to eat foods produced in the town and to drink tap water. In both cases people can imagine living in Tomioka now and in the future. Perspectives regarding future research are envisaged.