Climate change impacts
For Kyūshū, there is no clear trend in how many typhoons form, approach, or land in the region. However, as temperatures rise due to global warming and the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere increases, the intensity of torrential rains will increase. In recent years, typhoons have damaged the transmission and distribution facilities of the Kyūshū Electric Power grid. In 2015 (Typhoons 15 and 16), a total of 728 electric poles were knocked over, and in 2018 (Typhoon 24), 368. In Miyakojima City, Okinawa Prefecture, about 800 utility poles were brought down in 2017 by Typhoon 14, which caused major disruption for emergency vehicles, the transport of everyday necessities, and the supply of utilities.
Adaptation activity
In 2016, the national Diet passed an act to accelerate the removal of utility poles. This charged local governments with creating ordinance that takes into account local needs, and strategies to promote policies to make utility poles obsolete. In response, measures to prohibit the erection of new utility poles on emergency transport thoroughfares in the Kyūshū region have been implemented swiftly (Fig. 1). In the midst of the establishment of a pole-free promotion plan in each prefecture, plans are also being formulated at the municipal level, including the cities of Fukuoka, Kumamoto, and Naha.
In addition, the Kyūshū Regional One-Stop Pole-Free Consultation Center opened in September 2019 at the Kyushu Regional Council Pole-Free Association, in response to the fact that many municipalities do not have the know-how or technical skills to undertake the elimination of utility poles. The center provides advice on a wide-range of topics concerning the transition to pole-free utility networks, and promotes the efficient elimination of utility poles per se.
Outputs / Expected benefits
The elimination of utility poles makes it possible to build disaster-resilient cities by reducing physical risks to houses and the disruption emergency transport thoroughfares due to utility poles being downed by natural disasters. In addition, create safer and more pleasant traffic routes, create a more visually pleasing environment, and revitalize local communities.
Fig. 1 Status of measures prohibiting the erection of new utility poles by prefecture (see Note)
(Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism website "Prohibiting the erection of new utility poles on key thoroughfares, etc.")
Fig. 2 Ishimine Welfare Center Line (Shuri-Ishimine-cho, Naha City, Okinawa) before (left) and after (right) pole-free
(Source: The Naha City Pole-Free Promotion Project, City Future Department, Naha City)
Footnote
(Note) From data supplied by regional authorities (information made public up to June 30, 2018)
