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【JWF News Vol. 191】16 September 2020
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◇ Contents ◇
・Forward The Goal of River Basin Management
・Announcement from the Japan Water Forum
– JWF Fund 2020: Recipients decided!
– Kyoto World Water Grand Prize 2021: Now open for applications!
・Report from the Japan Water Forum
– Report of the NoWNET’s Webinar Outcome of WWWeek At Home
– JWF Fund 2019: Construction and protection of Kogoma Spring (Kenya)
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・Foreword The Goal of River Basin Management
By Dr. Katumi MUSIAKE, Advisory Council Member of the Japan Water Forum; Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo and Fukushima University
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Prehistory of the Basic Act on Water-Cycle Policy
Though recovering and maintaining a sound water cycle is the basic principle of the current Basic Act on Water-Cycle Policy, the concept was already shared among water-related ministries and agencies in policy-making a quarter of a century ago. Since then, various plans for maintaining and recovering a sound water cycle in river basins have been drafted and implemented across Japan.
Since then, I have been involved in such projects in several river basins. Though I have been striving to promote comprehensive and integrated efforts involving all stakeholders in each river basin within a similar framework of integrated river basin management, as described below, the biggest barrier is a vertically segmented administrative system. It may be difficult to introduce a cross-sectional perspective that connects such systems: a system segmented vertically between different administrative departments, and a system segmented regionally between the central government, prefectures and municipalities. However, I believe that this is the key to the success of river basin management.
Promotion of River Basin Management Stipulated in the Basic Act on Water-Cycle Policy and Basic Plan on Water Cycle
The motive for enacting the Basic Act on Water-Cycle Policy in 2014 was to correct the vertically segmented system and promote comprehensive and integrated water administration. The essence of the Basic Plan on Water Cycle, formulated in 2015, was to promote comprehensive and integrated river basin management. The concept of river basin management is not a new one. The system for developing water resources in each river system that requires the consensus of local governments is one example. Another example is comprehensive flood control measures in urbanized river basins. In the past, however, river basin management was carried out mainly by public bodies in a top-down manner. In contrast, the river basin management described in the Basic Plan on Water Cycle is carried out from the perspective of the relationship between the water cycle system and humanity. Diverse water-related stakeholders in the basin will cooperate and collaborate. The new system differs greatly from the old one with regard to the size of the target area, the considerable number of stakeholders involved, and greater roles for local governments and communities. In the course of developing a mature democratic society of Japan, most people agree that some authority should be transferred from the national government to local governments, that some duties of the government should be shifted to the private sector, and that we should shift from public help to self-help or mutual help. In the global community, where we are committed to attaining the SDGs, this will be an ambitious attempt to manage national land through water management in order to achieve SDGs. This also demonstrates a unique form of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM).
A Case by Case Approach to Comprehensive and Integrated Administrative System through Cooperation and Collaboration
During the past five years, the Headquarters for Water-Cycle Policy has approved and publicized 44 basic plans on the water cycle in river basins. All these plans are led by local governments, which shows that we need to start tackling local issues on-site in order to achieve a comprehensive and integrated administrative system.
In contrast, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has introduced a concept of “river basin management” in order to tackle serious and devastating flooding. This is composed of three types of measures: those in rivers, those in basins, and non-structural measures. The MLIT has already described measures to be implemented in rivers within a basin. Regarding basin-wide measures and non-structural measures, it has given only a brief description and promises to consider concrete measures in cooperation with relevant organizations. In particular, basin-wide measures, which are closely related to land use and community building and require the active participation of local stakeholders, should be considered within the framework of comprehensive and integrated river basin management as promoted in the Basic Plan on Water Cycle.
Expectations Regarding the Efforts of the Japan Water Forum, which Fills the Gaps in Segmented Administrative Systems
A vertically segmented administrative system is a kind of system for sharing roles and, to some extent, is essential for administration. Therefore, coordination between administrative departments is indispensable, even though it may consume enormous time and energy. But without such efforts, it is impossible to foster cooperation and integration. It also needs the support of the public.
The Japan Water Forum, which involves experts and intellectuals from various fields, and has close ties with government officials and politicians, is a unique organization, involved in efforts to fill the gaps in vertically segmented administrative systems. I look forward to its continued efforts and further development.
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・Announcement from the Japan Water Forum
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– JWF Fund 2020: Recipients decided!
The JWF Fund was founded in 2005 and is operated solely by the Japan Water Forum (JWF), which aims to support selected grass-roots organizations in developing countries that have been addressing local water-related issues. Those adopted after due assessment are eligible for funding of up to 1,000 USD per project. The JWF Fund is based on JWF membership fees and donations from general contributors.
In the JWF fund of this year, we have received 347 applications from 35 countries.
As the result of selection, we have decided to provide funds for 7 projects from 6 countries.
▼Please visit the following website for details▼
https://www.waterforum.jp/all/grass_roots_projects/jwf/2020/0916/?p=15064tag=en,rep_en
(Reported by Shigenori Asai, Director and Akie Gunji, Sub Manager)
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– Kyoto World Water Grand Prize 2021: Now open for applications!
The Kyoto World Water Grand Prize was created to honor a distinguished organization involved in grass-roots activities related to solving water problems in developing countries.
Japan Water Forum starts to call for application for the Kyoto World Water Grand Prize 2021.
The winner of the prize will receive 2,000,000 JPY (Approximately 18,000 USD, depending on fluctuating exchange rates).
Deadline for submission is 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2020 (UTC 3:00).
We look forward to receiving your applications!
▼Please visit the following website for details▼
https://www.waterforum.jp/all/grass_roots_projects/kyoto-prize/2020/0904/?p=15125?tag=en,rep_en
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・Report from the Japan Water Forum
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– Report of the NoWNET’s Webinar Outcome of WWWeek At Home
On 27th August 2020, Japan Water Forum, Secretariat of NoWNET, organized a webinar entitled “Co-Benefits of Implementing NBS for Water Resources and Flood Risk Management” with NoWNET members as a part of Stockholm World Water Week (WWWeek) at Home.
This webinar shared practices and lessons learned from the NoWNET members’ countries, especially from Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Japan and the Republic of Korea, with regards to Nature-based Solutions (NBS) in addressing water-related disaster risks from river flooding and urban flooding, to overcome existing and future challenges and for scaling-up.
▼Please visit the following website for details▼
https://www.waterforum.jp/all/transmitting_japanese/nownet/2020/0916/?p=15470tag=en,rep_en
(Reported by Yumiko Asayama, Manager)
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– JWF Fund 2019: Construction and protection of Kogoma Spring (Kenya)
Under the JWF Fund 2019, seven projects in six countries were selected and funded out of 302 applications submitted from 36 countries.
The completed project report will be posted monthly.
▼Project in Kenya▼
https://www.waterforum.jp/all/grass_roots_projects/jwf/2020/0915/?p=15272?tag=en,rep_en
(Reported by Shigenori Asai, Director and Miyo Tabata, Assistant Manager)
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JWF News Vol. 191 / 16 September 2020
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