‘Suetsugi Atlas’ project: Lessons from implementing co-expertise process

Abstract

The co-expertise initiative in the Suetsugi district of Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, located 27 km from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, was carried out through collaboration between the volunteer group Ethos in Fukushima and the Suetsugi community from 2011 to 2020. As the initiative neared its end in 2017, the residents expressed a desire to document their post-nuclear accident experiences. This effort led to the creation of the Suetsugi Atlas in the spring of 2022. The development of the Atlas revealed a high degree of satisfaction among residents with the co-expertise process. However, it also shed light on the challenges of building trust beyond their direct experience, suggesting that lives affected by the accident still face unresolved issues. It also revealed that for co-expertise to be successful, the full engagement of public authorities alongside affected people in the recovery process is essential. These results are valuable for refining the methods and applications of the co-expertise process.