15th Meeting of the Committee for Basic Policy of the Water Security Council of Japan (WSCJ) - News

On February 22^nd, the WSCJ, for which the JWF serves as secretariat, held the 15^th meeting of the Committee for Basic Policy at the First Members’ Office Building of the House of Representatives. This committee is composed of members of the governing council of WSCJ. Its purpose is to consider watershed management from a 21^st century perspective.

For the first time since committee’s foundation in 2009, the meeting was held at the First Members’ Office Buildings of the House of Representatives. All stakeholders in Team Water Japan, which is composed of industry, government, academics and citizens, attended the meeting, including a record high eight Diet members.

At the 14^th meeting of the Committee for Basic Policy held in May, 2016, participants had reconfirmed that they would strive to realize the solutions presented in the recommendation Towards a Low-carbon, Sustainable Water and Material-Circulating Society, published in October, 2012.

At the 15^th meeting, there was a discussion on how to realize solutions according to the policy approved at the 14^th meeting. Also discussed was how to bring about inter-agency approaches to the solutions, such as proper groundwater management and the framework for water and material circulation for achieving a sound water cycle, and the creation of new economic value by utilizing existing infrastructure, such as dams and water and sewerage systems.

At the next meeting (to be scheduled), based on the results of the 15^th meeting, we are planning to discuss focused issues for achieving a sound water cycle based on the Basic Law on the Water Cycle and Water Cycle Policy as well as measures for promoting effective use and efficient maintenance of large-scale infrastructure.

The JWF will be involved in various activities as secretariat of the Water Security Council of Japan, and will make policy recommendations for realizing measures for the solution of water problems at home and abroad.
Outline

Event title	15th Meeting of the Committee for Basic Policy of the Water Security Council of Japan (WSCJ)
Date / Time	Wednesday, 22 February 2017 / 10:00-13:00 (door open 9:30)
Venue	International conference room, First Members’ Office Buildings of the House of Representatives, Tokyo
Attendees	83people (National Diet members: 8people, Governing Council members: 21people, Action team members: 16people, ministry officials: 15people and Audience and others: 23people)
Agenda	1．Opening (1) Opening remarks Dr. Norihito TAMBO, Chair of the WSCJ’s Governing Council; President of the Hokkaido Research Organization; Professor Emeritus from Hokkaido University (2) Remarks from National Diet members (3) Remarks from newly appointed GC members Mr. Seisaku ENDO, Researcher, Institute of Public Policy Studies of Hokkaido University Public Policy School /Directro-General, Enterprise Bureau, Miharu Town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan Mr. Kaoru ISHIKAWA, Trustee, Kawamura Gakuen/Specially Appointed Professor, Kawamura Gakuen Woman’s University (4) Retiring remarks from GC member Dr. Yutaka TAKAHASHI, Emeritus professor, Tokyo University 2. Information about future international meetings on water (5 minutes each) (1) 3rd Asia-Pacific Water Summit (Presentation Data) Presenter: Mr. Kunihiro MORIYASU,Director, Japan Water Forum (2) 17^th World Lake Conference at Lake Kasumigaura, Ibaraki, Japan(Presentation Data) Presenter: Dr. Saburo MATSUI, Emeritus professor, Kyoto University (3) Introducin activities of Japan Assosiation for UNEP(Presentation Data) Presenter: Mr. Takahiko HIRAISHI, Member of the Board of Directors, IGES/Member of the Board of Directors, Japan Association for UNEP 2. Activity report for realizing a low-carbon and sustainable water and material circulating society, by members of the governing council and representatives of each team (1)Report on activities of the Follow-up Committee for the Basic Law on the Water Cycle (20minutes, including discussion)(Presentation Data) Presenter: Dr. Taikan OKI, Senior Vice-Rector, United Nations University/Professor, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo (2) Report on the latest trends in irrigation water(Presentation Data ) Presenter: Dr. Yohei SATO, Chairman, Japan National Committee of ICID (3)Proposal for the use of energy from existing dams(Presentation Data ) Presenter: Dr. Kotaro TAKEMURA, Secretary General, Water Security Council of Japan/ Chair of Japan Water Forum (4) General discussion about agenda (2 ) and (3) -Break- (5) Progress of Infrastructure Support Program by Linking Water and Green Infrastructure: from Water Source to the Tap(Presentation Data ) Presenter: Mr. Michiaki ISHIGRO, Co-Secretary-General, Study Group on Infrastructure Support Program by Linking Water and Green/Chair, Water and Green organization (6) Resource recycling industry supported by sub-critical water technology(Presentation Data ) Presenter: Prof. Jun MATSUSHITA, Professor and Senior Reseacher, Research and Development Initiative, Chuo Unuversity/Representative, Subcritical water treatment team (7) The study of groundwater for a sustainable society(Presentation Data ) Presenter: Dr. Makoto TANIGUCHI, Deputy Director-General, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature/Chair, Japanese Association of Groundwater Hydrology (8) General discussion about agenda (5)~(7) 4．Closing

※All PDF Data are Japanese only.


Opening remarks from Dr. Norihito TAMBO	Remarks from Ms. NAKAGAWA, Chief of the Secretariat of Special Mission Committee on Water Security Strategy

Remarks from newly appointed GC members, Mr. ENDO	Remarks from newly appointed GC members, Mr. ISHIKAWA

Retiring remarks from GC member, Dr. TAKAHASHI	Discussion1

Discussion2	Inside of the conference room

(Reported by Kei SATO, Manager)