MID TERM SUMMARY REPORT(2013 – 2020)
Executive Summary

Cooperation between theInternational Atomic Energy Agency
and Fukushima Prefecture
Radiation Monitoring and Remediation

Vienna/Fukushima December 2020

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1. Objectives and scope of the cooperation
The 11 March 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku and the subsequent tsunami and accident
at Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (hereinafter referred to as‘Fukushima Daiichi accident’) resulted in radioactive contamination deposited in various areas of Japan,
including Fukushima Prefecture (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Prefecture’).
In December 2012 the IAEA and the Fukushima Prefecture signed an agreement titled Practical
Arrangements between Fukushima Prefecture and the International Atomic Energy Agency on
Cooperation in the Area of Radiation Monitoring and Remediation (hereinafter referred to as ‘Practical
Arrangements’). The objective of the Practical Arrangements is to define the framework for cooperation
between the Prefecture and the IAEA and for the IAEA to provide broad and extensive assistance to thePrefecture in areas related to radiation monitoring and remediation in order to ensure on-going protectionof people and the environment from ionizing radiation resulting from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi
accident. The Practical Arrangements were modified and extended in April/May 2016 and again in
December 2017 to consider other areas of work and activities in which cooperation may be pursued.
Cooperation under the Practical Arrangements is designed to complement existing Japanese activities
and to provide immediate assistance and support which will be of direct benefit to residents of the
Fukushima Prefecture as well as visitors to the Prefecture.
This document is an Executive Summary of the ‘Mid Term Summary Report’, which summarizes thecurrent status and progress made in the activities conducted under the Practical Arrangements from 2013
through Spring 2020. The Mid Term Summary report’ supersedes the 5 Year Summary Report, which
covered progress from 2013 through 2017.
Over the period that the Practical Arrangements have been in place, the most important exposure
pathway for people is external radiation emitted by radiocaesium (137Cs and 134Cs), which is present inboth the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Radiocaesium levels in the environment, and the associateddoses to people will continue to decline without human intervention as a result of radioactive decay ofradiocaesium, the removal of radiocaesium by weathering from surfaces and migration of radiocaesium
into soil and sediments. In addition, radiocaesium levels in the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, andthe associated doses to people, have declined due to remediation activities undertaken by the Prefecture.
Since the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the Prefecture has performed significant remediation activities
and has safely been safely managing the resulting radioactive waste.
The activities that are part of the Practical Arrangements under which IAEA has provided assistance tothe Prefecture can be summarized as: Research and studies on radiation monitoring, in terrestrial and aquatic environments, including
application of environmental mapping technology by using unmanned aerial vehicles and longterm monitoring of radioactive materials;
 Research and studies on the remediation of terrestrial and aquatic environments in the
Prefecture; Research and studies on the management of radioactive waste from remediation;
Assistance on information dissemination interlinks with, and is in line with, all of the activities that arepart of the Practical Arrangements. To strengthen efforts in information dissemination, the IAEA and
the Prefecture have organized several activities which were considered examples of best practices in
informing the public about the effects of radiation from other countries.

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2. Monitoring of Radioactive Material in the Environment
Associated Countermeasures
As a consequence of the Fukushima Daiichi accident, significant amounts of radioactive fallout were
deposited on the territory of the Prefecture, especially in the area to the northwest of the Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear power plant. Long-term monitoring programmes of radiocaesium in terrestrial andaquatic ecosystems have been established, including the distribution of radiocaesium within theseenvironments and measurement of radiocaesium in wild foods, and associated doses to people have beenassessed.
Decisions relating to remediation activities are based on an assessment of current and potential future
doses without intervention as well as the decreased doses that can be achieved through remedial actions.
It is therefore helpful to make predictions regarding changes over time in air dose rates and doses topeople with and without intervention.

2.1. Forests
Once deposited within forests, radiocaesium is retained and recycled within the forest ecosystem –though in gradually decreasing amounts due to natural decay.
Work on monitoring of radiocaesium in forests under the Practical Arrangements focused on providing
assistance to the Prefecture in characterizing the distribution of radiocaesium, establishing long-term
radiation monitoring programmes, reviewing the effectiveness of countermeasures, providing advice on
the implementation of the Satoyama Rehabilitation Model Project addressing specific countermeasures
for reducing radiation exposures of forest workers, assessing the radiological effects of forest fires andassessing the implications of radiocaesium transfer to forest mushrooms, game animals and bamboo
shoots.

Outcomes
An extensive work program has been undertaken to better understand the behaviour of radiocaesium inforests. The key conclusions to date are:
 Radionuclides deposited in the forests of the Prefecture are effectively retained within theecosystem and the likelihood of transfer of radiocaesium to agricultural land appears to be low.
 Forest maintenance has helped to prevent erosion and soil-loss and is also very effective at
retaining radiocaesium within the forests.A long-term monitoring programme in forests has
been established to track the rate of reduction of the air dose rate. Compared with August 2011,
the air dose rate overall has decreased by about 78% at the end of 2019. These results are broadly
in line with the reduction of air dose rate due to radioactive decay of radiocaesium: Figure1
shows the average of measured air dose rates at 362 monitoring points in forests within the
Prefecture and estimated air dose rates based on the radioactive decay of radiocaesium.

4|P a g e■ Estimated value from natural decay

Measured value (average of 362 points)

Air dose rate (µSv/h)

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.91
0.79
0.62

0.5

0.44

0.39

0.32

0.27

0.23

0.23

0.20

2020/1

2019/1

2018/1

2017/1

2016/1

2015/1

2014/1

2013/1

2012/1

2011/1

0.0

FIG 1: Measured air dose rates at 362 monitoring points in forests within the Prefecture and estimatedair dose rates based on radioactive decay of radiocaesium, (Image: based on data from Fukushima
Prefecture)The presence of clay minerals in the underlying forest soils chemically binds the radiocaesium
and limits its transfer to vegetation. The result is that, for the same amount of deposition, theactivity concentrations of radiocaesium in plants and animals in the forests in the Prefecture areconsiderably lower than those observed in European forests following the Chernobyl accident.



Based on experience with radiation monitoring in areas affected by the Chernobyl accident,
radiation monitoring in forests may be necessary for many more years and monitoringprocedures for measuring air dose rates and the radioactive content of trees may need to be
adjusted to account for changing conditions such as the movement of radiocaesium in theenvironment and the accumulation of radiocaesium in waterlogged areas where the uptake byvegetation is expected to be higher.



Since 2012, most of the radiocaesium initially deposited in forests has been transferred from thetrees to the soil and litter layers, as shown in Figure 2. The feasibility of removing large amounts
of soil in order to reduce the air dose rate is not practical; it is also expensive, produces additional
waste material that must be managed and has the potential to reduce the biological and economic
productivity of the forest.

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FIG 2: Change in distribution of radiocaesium in the Prefecture’s coniferous forests anddeciduous forests from 2011 to 2016 (Adapted from cooperation with the Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Fukushima Prefectural Forestry Research Centre) Covering the forest floor with soil or wood chips that has no radiocaesium has proven to be aneffective means of reducing air dose rates. A number of questions regarding the long-term
effectiveness of these measures remain. In the meantime, the Prefecture authorities have alreadyconcluded that, because of the associated high costs, the application of such measures may bejustified only over limited areas with high air dose rates, particularly if such areas are close to
inhabited areas.
 To date there appears to be no need to restrict the production and use of the timber harvested fromforests. However, monitoring of timber needs to continue, especially as logging commences in areas
where there are higher concentrations of radiocaesium in the timber.
 Measures have been implemented to restrict the radiation exposure of forest workers; these include
the use of harvesting machines and limitations on the number of hours each worker can work in theforest. Overall, a conservative approach has been taken by the Prefecture in order to reduce theradiation doses of these individuals.
 Studies carried out on forest fires in the Prefecture have not identified a significant radiologicalimpact resulting from these events.

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 The implementation of the Satoyama Rehabilitation Model Project has been presented and discussedwith the IAEA and international experts and visits to the sites were arranged (1 site in July 2019, 2
sites in February 2020). It was noted that the attention to detail and the availability of all theinformation to undertake the remediation was of a high standard.
 There are many similarities between the results of the monitoring programmes for wild foods. The
measurements in forest mushrooms, freshwater fish and wild animals all show high activity
concentrations of radiocaesium, many outlier values and a very slow reduction in levels. Activity
concentrations in many of these foods exceed the limit of 100 Bq/kg for radiocaesium that wasestablished for general foods sold commercially in April 2012. Ongoing attention needs to be given
to providing more and better information to those who collect wild foods for their own consumption,
so that they can make informed choices on the radiation dose they are prepared to accept.
 As time progresses, activity concentrations in wild foods continue to decrease and monitoring
programmes will identify more and more activity concentrations that are ‘less than’ or ‘notdetectable’ by measurement techniques. These results can be an important communication tool toshow that the situation is improving, even if restrictions remain in place. A standard approach toreporting these low measurements of radiocaesium in food needs to be agreed and applied uniformly
across all monitoring programmes.
 Because future reductions in air dose rates will be dominated by the radioactive decay of 137Cs,
which has a radioactive half-life of about 30 years, the annual reductions will be low and, as such,the situation can be regarded as being more stable. In such circumstances, it may be justified, froma technical prospective, to reduce the frequency of monitoring without the loss of valuable
information.

2.2. Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments
Work on monitoring and remediation of radiocaesium in terrestrial and aquatic environments of under
the Practical Arrangements has focused on providing assistance to the Prefecture on the following topics: Behaviour of radiocaesium in the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, (see Section 2.1 for forest
environments), in the areas of the Prefecture affected by the accident; Effectiveness of remediation and decontamination measures in aquatic systems;
 Analysis of monitoring results to identify temporal trends in radiocaesium concentrations inenvironmental media (soil, water, sediments), radioactive particles and of air dose rate; Review of experience gained from remediation activities in order to provide input for theselection of appropriate and technically feasible remedial actions; Application of models to simulate radiocaesium flux in aquatic systems;
 Effectiveness of decontamination measures implemented in residential areas; Impacts of extreme weather events, such as typhoons, on radiocaesium dynamics in freshwater
environments.
The behaviour of radiocaesium in ecosystems has been studied worldwide for the last several decades.
In general, international experience has shown that in the terrestrial environment, radiocaesium isstrongly bound by mineral soil components, which results in slow movement in soil and a low uptake
by plants. In freshwater ecosystems, radiocaesium is in general strongly bound to suspended sediments,
which deposit on the bottom of bodies of water and which causes a rapid decline of dissolved
radiocaesium levels in the water column. Sorption of radiocaesium to suspended sediments, therefore,
plays a key role in its environmental behaviour.
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Outcomes Since 2011, intensive remediation and decontamination work has been carried out by the Prefecture
in homes, public facilities, roads, agricultural land and forests close to inhabited areas. Dependingon the type of area, the Prefecture observed that air dose rates were reduced by 20% – 50%, similar
to results achieved by remediation in areas affected by the Chernobyl accident. In addition, thePrefecture has initiated projects on the remediation and decontamination of freshwater bodies todemonstrate the effectiveness of such countermeasures.
 In the freshwater bodies of the Prefecture, dissolved radiocaesium levels in water fell to levels close
to or below the detection limit of 0.05 Bq/L by 2018, a level that is well below the water quality
objective for safe drinking water in Japan (10 Bq/L). This can be explained by the strong sorptionof caesium by sediments in riverbeds, in which much higher radiocaesium levels are observed. There
has been a clear corresponding decline in the concentration of radiocaesium in suspended sediments(Figure 3).
 The reduction of the radiocaesium levels in surface water catchments is mainly caused byradioactive decay. Runoff of radiocaesium causes further small reductions, for example up to a few
percent from the catchments of the Abukuma and the Kuchibuto tributaries.
 Measurements of radiocaesium in reservoirs reveal that the amount of suspended radiocaesium inthe outflow is much less than in the inflow. This indicates that reservoirs act as a ‘sediment trap’ forradiocaesium.
 The physicochemical conditions in surface waters can also affect the transport and dynamics ofparticles which bind radiocaesium. Such conditions might explain the generally stronger
radiocaesium sorption onto soils and sediments that was measured under the conditions in the
Prefecture than in the vicinity of the Chernobyl Power Plant following the 1986 accident.
 The continuation of routine monitoring of radiocaesium in river catchments of the Prefecture isimportant to assess its temporal and spatial changes. This includes monitoring within a riverdrainage basin, where water collects, as well as the tributaries that carry radiocaesium from upstream
areas of the basin into the larger rivers downstream. In conducting such monitoring to assessradiocaesium dynamics through time and space, it is recognised that it is important to apply
standardized sample collection and storage procedures, and where relevant, standardized expressionof monitoring results, to facilitate inter-comparison between aquatic systems, which allows theresults to be compared with the international literature.
 The density of plankton in freshwater bodies studied in the Prefecture was very low and the total
radiocaesium activities for both phyto-plankton and zooplankton comprised only a small fraction ofa percent of the radiocaesium present in the water bodies studied.

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FIG. 3. Decline of 137Cs in suspended matter of rivers in the Prefecture, 2011–2019 (Image:
Fukushima Prefecture) To facilitate the interpretation of monitoring results, models were applied by the Prefecture tosimulate the transport of radiocaesium from the catchment area through the river system to the
Pacific Ocean. International experiences from using different types of model for predicting
radiocaesium dynamics in aquatic ecosystems have been shared with the Prefecture experts. Thesetypes of model are also very useful in selecting appropriate remedial options and assessing theeffectiveness of remediation measures being applied in rivers and can also enable the assessment of
the effect of recontamination of rivers.
 Monitoring data collected following Typhoon No 19 in 2019 indicate that air dose rates onriverbanks impacted by the typhoon have not increased, remaining similar or showing some
reduction, compared to pre-typhoon values (see Figure 4).

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P a g e |9FIG. 4. Maps of air dose rates at 1 m height above the ground before and after Typhoon No. 91 (Image:
Fukushima Prefecture).

2.3. Application of Environmental Mapping Technology Using Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles
The Prefecture identified a need to conduct radiation monitoring in areas that are not accessible by othercharacterization methods, such as car-borne surveys, or where high radiation levels might exist.
Consequently, the Prefecture developed a methodology for the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAVs) in areas that are inaccessible on foot or where high radiation levels might exist. Significant
assistance was provided to the Prefecture in the two consecutive cooperative projects “Rapid
Environmental Mapping with UAV and “Rapid Environmental Mapping with UAV Phase II:
Operational Support”, both administered by the IAEA Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications.

Outcomes Assistance was provided to the Prefecture on the development of a methodology for the use of
instrumented UAVs by the IAEA Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications through twoconsecutive cooperative projects. This included the provision of a complete UAV based
instrumentation system capable of making radiation measurements together with the postmeasurement analysis and interpretation methodology. These projects also included training of thePrefecture staff in the use of UAV, its instrumentation and related software for data taking andanalysis.
 The first part (validation) of the project consisted of in-situ calibration of equipment and validationof measurement procedures. Both experimental data from reference NaI surveys, combined with
Monte Carlo modelling, were used to establish altitude dependence of the UAV based measurements,
define correction factors between UAV and NaI results and perform extensive sensitivity analysis.

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In most of the cases UAV based data were also compared to equivalent backpack surveys, obtainedusing CsI spectrometers.
 In the second part (application), trial measurements were carried out. Figure 5 illustrates theradiological mapping carried out at one of the temporary storage sites located in the Prefecture,
where a combination of backpack (loaded with CsI spectrometer) and UAV based measurements
were performed. The established methodology has a great potential to be expanded and applied inradiological mapping relevant to contaminated sites as a result of nuclear accidents, mining activities
as well as part of decommissioning and remediation projects.

Fig. 5. Combination of UAV (marked within red rectangle) and backpack based radiological mapping,carried out at one of the temporary storage sites of the Fukushima Prefecture. Image: Fukushima
Prefecture.

3. Management of Waste from Remediation Activities
Since the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the Prefecture has performed a significant amount of remediation
activities and has been safely managing the resulting radioactive waste. According to the plan
formulated by the Japanese MOE (Ministry of the Environment), contaminated soil and waste generated
from remediation in the Prefecture are to be collected and stored at, or near, the sites undergoing
remediation at temporary storage sites (TSS). Afterwards, the waste will be placed in an ISF (Interim
Storage Facility) near the site of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. The ISF is to be developed andoperated by the central government. After interim storage in the ISF for up to 30 years, final disposal
will take place outside the Prefecture.
Three main types of TSS have been established in municipalities in the Prefecture – aboveground storage,semi-underground storage, and underground storage (Figure 6).
Radioactive waste from remediation activities requires timely, safe and sustainable management, in linewith the applicable IAEA, National and Local Safety Standards. When activities under the Practical
Arrangements commenced in 2013, the Prefecture was faced with a shortage of TSS in which to store
waste from remediation activities and also needed to demonstrate the safety of the TSS. The TSS were
established with the intention that waste would be stored in these facilities for only three years before
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being transferred to the ISF. However, it has become necessary to store waste in TSS for more than three
years because of delays in the development of the ISF.

FIG. 6 Conceptual diagrams of three types of TSS (Image adapted from Technical Guidelines for
temporary storage sites, Fukushima Prefecture)
The activities concerning the management of waste from remediation activities under the Practical
Arrangements consequently focused initially on providing assistance to the Prefecture in finalizing

12 | P a g etechnical guidelines for the establishment of TSS and assisting the Prefecture to assess and demonstrate
the safety of the TSS. The provision of assistance shifted gradually to focus more on the safety of thelonger term operation of the TSS, on strategies for the retrieval of waste from the TSS, and on theremediation of former TSS. A key aspect of the assistance provided by IAEA has been to facilitate thesharing of expertise and experiences of relevant radioactive waste management practices from outside
Japan.

Outcomes Safety assessment was carried out by the Prefecture using the IAEA methodology for assessing thesafety of predisposal radioactive waste management facilities incorporated within the IAEA’s
SAFRAN software. During the use of the software, a part of the SAFRAN database was tailored to
fit the specific conditions of the TSS in the Prefecture.
 The safety assessment for the TSS in the Prefecture was developed in a gradual and iterative way
through the application of SAFRAN initially to a model site, then to a site in the Prefecture andeventually to nine selected TSS. The safety assessment was an important step in establishing a safe
approach for the storage of the large amount of radioactive waste accumulated from remediation
activities.
 During the development of the safety assessment for TSS, several technical issues were identified
and their impact on safety evaluated (e.g. water accumulation in different places of the temporarystorage sites, flooding, fires, degradation and retrieval of waste bags from the TSS, transport of thewaste bags, collapse of waste stacks). On the basis on these dedicated safety evaluations, technicalmeasures to remediate and prevent the problems were identified and their effectiveness estimated.
 The systematic safety assessment process that was followed using the SAFRAN software included
assessment of all credible hazards and technical issues and provided confidence that no significant
issues were disregarded or overlooked. It also provided a framework for explaining why certain
systems and processes are considered safe and why certain improvements of safety andcountermeasures are necessary.
 The results gained using SAFRAN in the development of safety assessments for TSS clearly
indicated that as long as appropriate operating procedures are followed and appropriate measures
are put in place, all radiation doses are expected to be well below the relevant dose limits
 Discussions have been held between the IAEA international experts and Prefecture experts
concerning retrieval strategies for waste stored in TSS taking into account the ageing of waste bags.
It was noted that the safety assessment for TSS should be revised to account for new informationthat arises as a result of the ongoing research on the ageing of waste bags.
 Decommissioning of TSS after all waste has been removed will be a significant undertaking andshould be approached in a systematic way and the IAEA international experts advised use of theapplicable IAEA Safety Standards.
 For consistency with IAEA Safety Standards, the IAEA international experts advised that the safetyassessment work done for operation of the TSS, for the removal of waste from the TSS, for wastetransport to the ISF and for the restoration of sites of former TSS should be fully documented andsubjected to appropriate independent peer review. The choices made in assessing the safety of the
TSS (e.g. regarding scenarios, contamination pathways, parameters…) should be fully justified.
Further discussion could be beneficial to help with the successful documentation of the work and its
communication to the relevant audiences.
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4. Information Dissemination to the Public
As part of the Practical Arrangements, the IAEA has provided assistance to the Prefecture on the use ofradiation monitoring data to develop maps to be made available to the public. The IAEA has also
provided assistance more generally on strengthening efforts in information dissemination in the
Prefecture to provide information to the public in a timely and understandable manner, based on global
experience in dealing with accidental releases of radiation to the environment.
To strengthen efforts in information dissemination, the IAEA and the Prefecture have organized several
activities under the scope of each topic under the Practical Arrangements.
Prior to the start of the activities under the Practical Arrangements in 2013, the Prefecture maintained a
website that made radiation monitoring data available to the public. The website provided detailed
information on air dose rate measurements and measurements of radioactivity concentrations in material
from several different sources, including: Air dose rate at approximately 3,500 fixed monitoring locations (only 24 of these existed prior
to the accident);
 Air dose rates from car-borne surveys;
 Monitoring of radionuclides in foodstuffs, drinking water and other environmental media.
The Prefecture wished to present the information in a simpler manner, making it easier to understand.
Since shortly after the accident, the Prefecture government has disseminated information about radiation
monitoring results, radiocaesium levels in the environment, decontamination, remediation and wasterelated activities in the area, and has explained the concept of radiation doses to the public and otherrelevant stakeholders. For this purpose, the Prefecture has used a dedicated website and newsletter, as
its main distribution channels.

Outcomes The availability of accurate and up-to-date information on the radiation situation in the Prefecture
is important both for the local population and visitors. While “Fukushima prefecture radioactivity
measurement maps” , available on the Prefecture website1 give a general view of how air dose rates
are reducing with time, people also want more localized information regarding the location where
they live, work or are visiting. The revised website that was finalized in 2016 made this information
available in a form that is easy to understand and prioritized the most recent data, while also ensuringthat historical data is also available for those who wish to review it. Clickable maps allow users toaccess data from specific points on a map (See Figure 7). Air dose rates and the results ofenvironmental sampling are displayed on the same map.

___________________________________________________________________________
1

http://fukushima-radioactivity.jp/pc/

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FIG. 7. Clickable Radiation Measurement (Air dose rate) Map (Fukushima Prefecture website) Several steps were necessary so that the public could access radiation monitoring information via
the Prefecture website in a more organized and understandable way: standardization of the large
volume of available data; development of maps to accurately represent the radiation situation at
different levels of detail; and upgrading the website to allow access to these and other data. All ofthese issues were discussed in detail between the IAEA international experts and Prefecture experts
in IT, public information strategy and radiation measurement.
 The provision of information through a website is only one component of the Prefecture’s
communication strategy. It has been recognised that the Prefecture needs to provide information andadvice to residents of the Prefecture as well as tourists from Japan and abroad on the expected
reduction in air dose rates with time. This has to take into account natural reductions due to thephysical half-life of radiocaesium and also the effectiveness of any applied countermeasures. Suchcalculations are site-specific and the uncertainties in the estimates of the future situation must also
be provided. The key take-aways arising from the cooperation with IAEA were:

The most efficient way of getting messages across is to move away from one-way
information dissemination to engagement.

An important task is to increase trust of the general public in the Prefecture itself, in Japanand abroad, enabling them to make informed opinions. This can be done through active
public engagement and easily understandable communication products.

When reaching out to visitors to Japan, it is important to clarify that the term “Fukushima”
does not refer to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant but to an entire Prefecture.



A well-structured website, with frequent updates, and social media messages via thePrefecture’s established channels are key in reaching out to the target audience in a timely
manner.
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Given the importance of traditional media in Japan, and even more so in the Prefecture,communicating through mass media is important.

 Information leaflets targeting the general public have been developed under each of three main
activities covered under the Practical Arrangements in order to communicate the results and impactof these activities in an understandable manner. They were presented and discussed at a workshop
for officials from the prefecture government, organized from 6 to 8 February 2018 in Japan and later
distributed. English versions are also available online on this link2. An illustration of the front pageof one of the leaflets and a page with infographics is illustrated in Figure 8.
 In July 2019, a seminar was held which focused on dissemination of information related to radiation
monitoring results, decontamination, remediation and waste-related activities implemented by thePrefecture. The target audience was Prefecture officials with responsibilities for outreach andengagement with the public in various divisions. The aim was to exchange knowledge and experience
with international experts on effective communication strategies and best practice communication
methods and techniques. One conclusion of the Seminar was that it is important to communicate
doses and dose rates in language that is easy to understand and put them into perspective by providing
context to show that the dose levels in most parts of the Prefecture are comparable to those in otherparts of the world.

FIG 8. An illustration of the front page of one of the leaflets and a page with infographics inEnglish (Image: Fukushima Prefecture)___________________________________________________________________________
2https://www.fukushima-kankyosozo.jp//lancelot/common_files/images/public/9_Leaflet(English).pdf

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5. Summary
Practical Arrangements between the Fukushima Prefecture and the International Atomic Energy Agency
have been established to define a cooperation framework for the IAEA to provide broad and extensive
assistance to the Prefecture in areas related to radiation monitoring and remediation in order to ensure
on-going protection of people and the environment from ionizing radiation resulting from the 2011
Fukushima Daiichi accident. The activities and topics that are part of the Practical Arrangements underwhich IAEA has provided assistance to the Prefecture can be summarized as: Research and studies on radiation monitoring, in terrestrial and aquatic environments, including
application of environmental mapping technology by using unmanned aerial vehicles and longterm monitoring of radioactive materials;
 Research and studies on the remediation of terrestrial and aquatic environments in the
Prefecture; Research and studies on the management of radioactive waste from remediation;
 Strengthening efforts in information dissemination via several activities under the scope of eachof the topics of cooperation.
The cooperation under the Practical Arrangements is designed to complement existing Japaneseactivities and to provide immediate assistance and support which will be of direct benefit to residents of
the Prefecture as well as visitors to the Prefecture. The Mid Term Report summarises the progress on
the activities undertaken from 2013 through spring 2020.

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