Consensus of Local Knowledge on landslide Hazard in Depopulated Mountain Communities in Japan – A Case Study on Matsunoyama Village

Abstract

Rural depopulation in mountain communities is now well acknowledged as one of the salient challenges faced by Japan which made them more susceptible to landslide disasters with intense weather conditions. The degradation of the traditional culture due to the rapid depopulation in mountainous areas leads to the permanent disappearance of the best local knowledge for landslide disasters. This study attempts to investigate the community’s landslide hazard knowledge. The research applied structural questionnaires and informal interviews for data collection. Firstly, the analysis has been conducted for identifying the main components in local knowledge on landslide disasters. Based on the component’s results, the questionnaire was developed to measure awareness on those components within the community. Finally, the cultural consensus modelling was utilized in discovering the cultural truths not in individual responses but the degree of sharing of these responses. The research outcomes suggest how the local knowledge-based practices and the consensus of local knowledge had improved the level of disaster adaptation among the community members. Moreover, the findings revealed the impact of depopulation and aging on the sustainability of the mountain community in a landslide disaster environment.