Organizing local evacuee networks: A case study of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster

A case study of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster

Abstract

       After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, approximately 60,000 people were evacuated from Fukushima prefecture and dispersed throughout Japan. As a result, many evacuees were in danger of living in isolation in temporary housing. To provide support for evacuees during catastrophes, previous disaster research has emphasized the importance of local networks. This paper examines the mechanism of organizing local evacuee networks, based on fieldwork conducted in eight cities and towns in Saitama prefecture.
       The four types of local evacuee networks found were influenced by two factors: spatial proximity and cooperation by local government hosts. The first type of network was organized in the same temporary housing complex as a consequence of exchange meetings held by local government. The second is a network also formed in a temporary housing complex, but without local government cooperation. In this situation, evacuees who found a neighboring one formed the network on their own. Another network consisted of evacuees living across a city or town. In this case, local government hosts planned exchange meetings for evacuees, and staff officials and local residents continued to support evacuees. The last type of network was formed among the evacuees living apart without governmental support. Under this circumstance, evacuee networks were formed by local resident volunteers who actively searched for information about those displaced.
       The aforementioned networks function to protect evacuees from isolation, providing evacuees a chance to interact, connecting them with support groups, and demanding local governments to improve their living conditions in temporary housing. On the other hand, these networks hold a risk of disruption owing to differences in evacuees’ hometowns and a risk of being excluded from the restoration of Fukushima prefecture.
       This paper demonstrates the early phase of prolonged evacuation from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, suggesting the importance of continuous research on evacuee networks.