Climate change policy without change. Citizen responsibility, participation and anti-crisis policy in Japan

Abstract

The effects of climate change have resulted in a notable increase in the intensity and scale of modern natural disasters, which often prove to be a formidable challenge for disaster response systems, thereby accentuating the authorities’ inability to manage risk with the requisite effectiveness. This situation presents an opportunity to modify anti-crisis policy by engaging residents of high-risk areas. However, political actors frequently exploit tragedies to fortify their position by manipulating techniques for engaging and involving social actors in the design of risk minimisation measures. Despite the existence of studies which illustrate the efficacy of participatory projects in public policies, there remains a paucity of research addressing the question of how participation mechanisms are shaped in the sphere of crisis management, how citizens are included or excluded from the process of shaping anti-crisis policies, and how responsibility for decisions and actions is distributed. The article presents an analysis of the involvement of residents in areas prone to flood risk in the process of designing flood policy. Drawing on the empirical material from ethnographic research, participant observation, in-depth interviews, government documents, and press materials, this study aims to elucidate the manner in which Japanese authorities are navigating a shift in policymaking related to the prevention and management of disasters. The article demonstrates how political actors are managing a change in policymaking related to the prevention and management of disasters that de facto serves to maintain and perpetuate their dominant position. The issue of responsibility for decisions made is of particular importance, given the construction of the dam will have a significant impact on the lives of residents and the functioning of river ecosystems in Kyushu.