[S-VC30] Mitigation of volcanic disasters - basic and applied researches

[SVC30-12] Comparative study on the literacy improvement of volcanic disaster reduction in Mt. Ontake and other volcanic areas

*Masae HORII¹, Koshun Yamaoka², Takahiro Kunitomo³, Satoshi Takewaki³ (1.Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, 2.Earthquake and Volcano Research Center, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, 3.Kiso Ontake Observatory, Earthquake and Volcano study Research Center, Graduate School of Environmental Studies,)

Keywords:volcano disaster management, disaster prevention literacy, education and prevalence, Mt.Ontake, high-risk modest scale eruption , qualitative study

After the eruption in 2014 of Mt. Ontake volcano, Kiso Ontake Volcano Observatory, Nagoya University was established on 2017 to keep and develop the face-to-face relationship between the local community and volcano experts. In addition, the Volcano Meister System started on 2017 to be engaged in activities for volcanic disaster management and regional promotion. In this presentation, we compared the advanced activities of other volcanic areas (Mt. Usu, Mount Bandai, Unzen-dake, Sakurajima) to improve volcano disaster management literacy, with the activities of Mt. Ontake volcano Meisters up to now. We considered common and different issue among them to look for effective measures for solving problems specific to the Mt. Ontake area.

After the eruption, in the Mt. Ontake area, volcano disaster management was discussed at workshops in the project “Development of problem-solution methods in volcano disaster management as a methodological application of clinical environmental studies (clinical volcano disaster management) (1-3)”. Nagano Prefecture also constitute Volcano Disaster Prevention Study Group (Nagano-ken kazan bosai no arikata kentoukai) (4) to establish the Volcano Meister System and visitor centers, which is scheduled to be opened in 2022 at the foot of the Mt. Ontake and at the entrance of the trail to the summit.
The Mt. Ontake Volcano Meister System referred to the advanced case of Toya-Usu Volcano Meister System, though it is an original system of Nagano Prefecture based on the specific circumstances of Mt. Ontake and the Kiso region (4). The Meister is responsible for effective spreading and enlightening of knowledge about volcanoes and volcano disaster management in the area around Mt. Ontake, and promotes the interest to the Kiso region that coexists with volcanoes (5). Currently, 16 Meisters are engaged, 13 of whom live in Kiso County, 2 live in other areas in Nagano Prefecture, and 1 live outside the Nagano prefecture (February 2022). In recent years, there have been issues such as the decrease of new candidates for the Meisters, and the memory of volcano disaster in 2014 is fading.
In addition to Mt. Usu, which had been already conducted a visit survey in 2021, we made interview surveys in Mt. Bandai, Mt. Unzen, and Sakurajima with representatives of facilities and organizations that are bases for volcano disaster management education and geopark activities there. The main survey subjects are their role and validity in volcano disaster management and tourism, the situation of interaction with volcano researchers, local government, local residents, tourists, mountain climbers, students, how to utilize facilities, and local people’s awareness of volcanoes and their transition. The advantage is found in the collaborative activity of the Meisters and the volcano research facility who locate in the same area in the Mt. Ontake region.

*This study was supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan, under its The Second Earthquake and Volcano Hazards Observation and Research Program (Earthquake and Volcano Hazard Reduction Research).

(1) Nakamura H., Yamaoka, K., Horii, M. (2017) Rinsho kazan bosai-gaku no kokoromi, Chiri, 62, 25-31. (in Japanese)
(2)Yamaoka, K. (2018) Genba kara kangaeru Rinsho kazan bosai-gaku, Gakujutsu no Doko, 23(3), 88-90. (in Japanese)
(3) Nakamura, H., Yamaoka, K., Horii, M., Miyamae, R. (2019) An Approach to Volcano Disaster Resilience and Governance: Action Research in Japan in the aftermath of Mt. Ontake Eruption, Journal of Disaster Research, 14, 829-842.
(4) https://www.pref.nagano.lg.jp/bosai/kurashi/shobo/bosai/bosai/kazanarikata/chukanhokoku.html
(5) https://www.pref.nagano.lg.jp/bosai/kurashi/shobo/bosai/maister.html