From recovery to resilience: Designing a sustainable future for Fukushima

Ten years ago, a devastating earthquake, tsunamis and nuclear accident in Japan took thousands of lives and affected millions of people. This unprecedented disaster generated numerous lessons for policymakers in Japan and around the world on how to prepare, respond to and recover from shocks, and build resilient communities, regions and societies. The 30 to 40 year process of decommissioning Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station offers the impetus and a rare window of opportunity to cultivate long-term, sustainable growth and resilience in the region and beyond. This Policy Brief presents the outcomes of the OECD-Japan Policy Dialogue on Developing Decommissioning Industry Clusters in Fukushima, conducted in 2019–20. It discusses the opportunities and challenges related to the decommissioning, and the policy options for sustainable recovery and development in the region. It also presents experiences and lessons relevant to Fukushima from other OECD regions and cities. While the brief is designed for local readers (e.g. policy makers, the private sector, academia, civil society), it also aims to raise the global profile of Fukushima’s ongoing reconstruction and recovery efforts.