Abstract
This paper describes the involvement of the residents of the Yamakiya district of the Kawamata town, a former evacuation area after the accident of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), in the on-going research activities of the authors on the behaviour of radioactive caesium in the environment. By relying on dialogue, measuring radiation, and other collaborative practices, this involvement enabled a series of actions to be taken to resolve the challenges related to the recovery after the lifting of the evacuation order that were appreciated by the residents. The paper also discusses the effects of the interactive program led by the Yamakiya School organized by the authors in cooperation with the residents including among others lectures, voluntary works and radiological surveys on local issues. Based on the above, the authors make recommendations on the desirable form of relationship between residents and experts after an event of large-scale environmental pollution including radiological contamination. Through these activities the authors have also gradually changed their research approach.
Highlights
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident caused radioactive contamination over a wide area in the Fukushima Prefecture
This paper describes the involvement of the residents of the Yamakiya district of the Kawamata town, a former evacuation area after the accident of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), in the on-going research activities of the authors on the behaviour of radioactive caesium in the environment
By relying on dialogue, measuring radiation, and other collaborative practices, this involvement enabled a series of actions to be taken to resolve the challenges related to the recovery after the lifting of the evacuation order that were appreciated by the residents
Summary
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident caused radioactive contamination over a wide area in the Fukushima Prefecture. From before returning home, some residents cooperated with various researchers to conduct environmental surveys on radioactive materials to help address issues on the actual situation of radioactive contamination in the living sphere of the area. This paper describes the involvement process of local stakeholders in the authors’ ongoing research activities on the behaviour of radioactive caesium in the environment in the Yamakiya district of Kawamata town in the Fukushima Prefecture, a rural area located in the Abukuma Highlands It presents the effects of the “Yamakiya School” activities: an interactive learning based on active exchanges between the residents and participants outside the region to understand the changing needs of the residents before and after returning. The paper attempts to illustrate the process of cooperation between experts, professionals and local stakeholders – the so-called “co-expertise process” – which aims to help people living in affected areas to understand the radiological situation they face daily in order to make informed decisions to protect themselves and their loved ones
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