Study on resource management in abandoned villages

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K17930
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Geography; Human geography
• Research Institution: Ehime University
• Principal Investigator: Hiromasa Watanabe 愛媛大学, 社会共創学部, 准教授(特定教員) (30711147)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 無住化集落 / 資源管理 / 地理空間データ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study clarified the status of abandoned villages in terms of 1) geographical distribution, 2) location environment, and 3) resource management by using geospatial data. The result was as follows: first, 544 abandoned villages was identified around mountainous region, second, the location environment were characterized by severe natural environment, low accessibility to living facilities, and fragile economic environment, and third, resource management mainly by former inhabitants and their relatives was continued in 162 of 544 villages.

Free Research Field

地理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近年無住化集落の存在が問題視されつつあるが、国の公的調査においても先行研究においても、未だにその状況の一端しか明らかにされていない。こうした状況を踏まえて、本研究はその分布・立地環境・資源管理の状況を詳細に明らかにしたところに学術的意義がある。本研究の成果は今後無住化を迎えざるを得ない集落および現在無住化している集落を対象とする条件不利地域対策に実践的な示唆を与えるものである。