Map, Journal of the Japan Cartographers Association

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This study examined whether students can recognize the risk of natural hazards using topographic or hazard maps, and whether recognition accuracy improves by learning about the relationships between topographic features and hazards from the viewpoint of map literacy. An experiment was conducted with 37 student participants and 3 natural hazard experts. Risk evaluation of sediment-related hazards for 6 sites and floods for 5 sites was required with 7-point scale, both with topographic maps and with hazard maps. The selected sites were either high risk with the risks displayed, high risk without the risks displayed, or low risk, and the participants were randomly assigned either to the experimental group or the control group. The experimental group participants learned about the relationships between topographic features and the risk of natural hazards for 10 minutes, and the control group participants learned about the risk of natural hazards without mention of the relationships. Risk evaluations for the 11 sites were required twice, before and after the learning sessions. As a result, participants were able to evaluate the risk of natural hazards to some extent even with topographic maps, but there were also some sites where they could recognize risks first by using hazard maps. Evaluated risks for many sites declined when the hazard risk was higher but not displayed on the hazard maps, while the experts maintained risk evaluations for such sites. Free descriptions explaining the evaluations revealed that the experimental group acquired knowledge of the relationships between topographic features and risk of natural hazards from the learning sessions, but it did not appear to affect their evaluations of risk. Based on the results, it was argued that autonomous judgments of the risk of natural hazards required knowledge of the relationships between topographic features and risky area of natural hazards as well as the reasons for the relationships and topographic features that should be paid attention to. Theoretical and practical implications for map literacy were also discussed.

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