Resident consciousness of natural disasters and use of natural resources is a factor that highly impacts effectiveness in natural disaster management and planning. The present study focused on the consciousness of local residents in Kamimiyazu, Miyazu city in order to clarify the relationship between a resident’s use of natural resources in daily life and his or her consciousness of natural disasters. We carried out a questionnaire survey in 2008 and obtained answers from 333 residents (ab out 50% were female). We also conducted interviews with residents between 2008 and 2012. In Kamimiyazu, natural disasters are frequent. Flooding or debris flow have often affected residents and damaged lands. However, disaster history has not been handed down sufficiently. We analyzed the motives for disaster preparation and behavior in the event of a natural disaster in relation to a resident’s use of natural resources and his or her daily activity in nature. Some residents who use natural res ources in daily life were highly conscious of the natural envi ronment. Based on the results we concluded that a greater degree of interest in the natural environment and a higher frequency of nature-related activity can be effective in the improvement of a region’s disaster resilience.
