Situation regarding the snow-removal system in rural areas: A case study of Kuriyama-town in Hokkaido
2013
Kato, H. | Yanagimura, S.
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the situations regarding the snow-removal system in rural areas through a case study of Kuriyama-town in Hokkaido. Heavy snow in the winter of 2010/2011 created severe damage in many districts along the Sea of Japan. Many elderly people were killed in accidents resulting from snow-removal work, and the road network came to a halt due to the delay in snow-removal operations by public authorities. Snowy areas overlap rural areas that are already facing a declining and aging population. This aging of the population means there are fewer available residents fit enough to engage in snow removal, likewise the decrease in the population xxx will cause difficulties with respect to public snow-clearing operations and mutual support for such residents. The problem of removing snow from public roads is connected with the depression of the construction industry, one of the key industries in rural areas, and also the financial problems of local governments. In this paper, we analyze the situation related to the snow-removal system in Kuriyama-town. In general, the snow-removal system is based on public authorities clearing public roads and residents clearing the areas around their own houses. In addition, there are local snow-removal systems in rural areas operated mainly by farmers using farm machinery, which is performed as a social service for elderly residents and also as a substitute service for public-authority operations. We discuss the problems of such a system as affected by changing conditions and the direction of reform of the existing system and alternative options.
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