Article

Young generations facing post-nuclear accident situations: from Chernobyl to Fukushima

¹ NPO Fukushima Dialogue, Japan
² Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
³ Nuclear Protection Evaluation Center (CEPN), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
⁴ Tomioka Town, Fukushima, Japan
⁵ University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
⁶ Farmer of Okuma Town, Fukushima, Japan

^* Corresponding author: r.ando@fukushima-dialogue.jp

Received: 17 May 2024
Accepted: 16 July 2024

Abstract

The experiences of Chernobyl and Fukushima are rich in lessons regarding the concerns and also the role of the young generations who decided to stay and live in the affected territories after the nuclear accidents. If the major concern at the time of the accident and in the following years is the protection against radioactivity, over time the issue of the future of the affected areas and the quality of life of their inhabitants take precedence. The article presents first a series of observations collected during the ETHOS project and the CORE programme in Belarus between 1996 and 2008 in the territories affected by the Chernobyl accident. Then, it presents testimonies and opinions heard during the 24th Fukushima Dialogue, held in November 2022, devoted to the role of the younger generation in the recovery process. Despite quite contrasting radiological situations, the concerns of young adults in both countries, more than 10 yr after the accidents, show similarities that are highlighted in this article, particularly their motivation to participate to the elaboration of a common vision for the future of the affected areas and to get involved in the recovery process.