Disaster Governance in Disaster Management Planning -Analysis of the Evacuation Planning Process for Kuchinoerabujima Volcano Eruption-

Abstract

This study analyzes the effectiveness of a disaster management plan and the problems encountered in its implementation, focusing on patterns of interaction between government and society in terms of disaster governance. Scholars in socio-political science point out that there has been a shift in the balance between government and society, from the public sector to the private sector as different sectors interact to solve problems. This study analyzes patterns of interaction and illustrates factors that influence the shift by examining the formulation and implementation process of an evacuation plan in the case of a volcanic eruption of Mount Shindake on Kuchinoerabujima Island, Japan. Mount Shindake explosively erupted on May 29, 2015. Immediately after observing the eruption, Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a volcanic alert "level five (evacuate)," the highest level. It was the first time that evacuation operations have been performed under such a high warning level. Although there were no official short-term warnings prior to the eruption, all people on the island evacuated safely. As a result of the study, we found that disaster governance had shifted from government-led to government and community collaboration after the volcanic eruption on August 3, 2014, which made the evacuation plan more effective.