STUDY ON GENERATING MECHANISM OF ABANDONED CULTIVATED LANDS BY NATURAL DISASTER IN MOUNTAINOUS AREA

Case of Shiraono community in Yamato-town, Kumamoto prefecture

Abstract

The majorities of previously cultivated lands that have been abandoned are remarkably inconvenient places and constitute a weak point for the community as a whole. This is especially true in the valleys and areas that are in the shadow of mountains, as the production conditions are poor and easily influenced by damage from wildlife. The damage from natural disaster reduces the motivation of farmers to engage in farming, and this paper argues that this is one of the factors behind the generating in cultivated land which is abandoned, which in turn invites more wildlife damage as a part of a vicious cycle. It was clarified that the damage by natural disaster was one of the main drivers in the abandonment of cultivated land, and it was shown that an increase of as little as 3% in repair costs led farmers to abandoned cultivated land which led farmers to lose the desire and ability to continue farm production.