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【JWF News Vol. 206】15 December 2021
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◇ Contents ◇
・Foreword Important Lessons to Learn from Minamata Disease
・Announcement from the Japan Water Forum
- Youth Water Forum Kyushu Application Video Now Available on YouTube!
- Applications for hosting the 4th APWS official side event (public seminar and symposium) and related event are now open
・Report from the Japan Water Forum
- Outcomes of the 12th APWF Webinar with UN-ESCAP about the SDG6 progress and COVID-19 impacts in Asia and the Pacific
- Outcomes of the 5th JWF webinar
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・Foreword Important Lessons to Learn from Minamata Disease
By Mr. Hirofumi OKAHISA, Advisory Council Member of the Japan Water Forum; Director General, Japan Sewage Works Association
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Recently a film was released based on a photo collection entitled MINAMATA, which was created by photo journalist Eugene Smith, who made the disease known to the world. I suppose it’s been a while since people around the world have heard the term Minamata disease.
Minamata disease is one of the four major illnesses caused by industrial pollution during Japan’s period of rapid economic growth in the 1960s. It was a tragic disaster that humanity must remember.
We must learn from this tragedy. Especially those involved in environmental issues can learn a lot of important lessons from Minamata disease.
The outbreak of Minamata disease took place in villages along Minamata Bay, in Kumamoto Prefecture. The stench of dead fish had permeated the Minamata Bay area since around 1941, and in 1953 cats were seen running around crazily and suddenly convulsing spasmodically before dying (therefore, it was called “cat’s dancing disease”). Other strange phenomena were observed; for example, birds such as crows would suddenly crash to the ground. In the course of time, the villagers began to show abnormalities. Towards the end of 1953, some complained of paralysis, convulsions, paresthesia of limbs, or constriction of the visual field.
As the cause of the disease was unknown, it was sometimes regarded as an isolated incident. There were also unfounded rumors that the disease could be contagious or hereditary, which led to social ostracism of sufferers.
In May 1956, the illness was officially recognized as Minamata disease. However, it was twelve years later, in 1968, that the government officially recognized it as a disease caused by man-made pollution and identified the source of the outbreaks. Unfortunately, Minamata disease continued to spread due to the lack of effective measures during the time.
The substance responsible for the disease was methyl mercury contained in wastewater discharged from the Minamata factory of the Shin-Nippon Chisso Hiryo K.K., (the current Chisso Corporation). The disease developed in local people who had eaten fish caught in Minamata Bay, in which methyl mercury had accumulated. Though people had turned a suspicious eye towards the factory, no effective measures were taken as there was no hard evidence.
Here I will briefly describe how the government and other stakeholders dealt with the disease. In 1957, the year after Minamata disease had been officially recognized, the Health and Welfare Ministry rejected a proposal by the Kumamoto prefectural government to ban fishing in Minamata Bay. In 1958, the Health and Welfare Ministry identified the Minamata factory as the source of pollution, but the company refused to accept liability. In 1959, the International Trade and Industry Ministry said it was too early to make a conclusion and didn’t accept the evidence, even though the Kumamoto University Research Group had identified the causative agent. In addition, a doctor at Chisso Hospital showed, through experiments on cats, that the causative agent was wastewater discharged from the factory. This fact was not publicized.
The responses to Minamata disease at the time have taught us some important lessons. It is too late to protect human lives and nature from environmental pollution if we wait until the cause has been fully identified before we act. It is necessary to take decisive steps to implement precautionary measures against suspicious environmental pollution even before a causal relationship has been scientifically established.
This is called “the precautionary principle”. It is stipulated in Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in June, 1992.
I hope that all those who work in environmental conservation, including that of water, will always keep this lesson in mind.
(Reference) Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.
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・Announcement from the Japan Water Forum
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– Youth Water Forum Kyushu Application Video Now Available on YouTube!
The Youth Water Forum Kyushu (YWFQ) was launched on March 22, 2021, and targets high school students to participate in a video (in English) that summarizes the results of their activities related to water and learning about social issues related to water. The goal is to have them become active international human resources in the future, mainly in water-related fields. The project also aims to help students learn about geography, which will become a new compulsory subject in 2022. At the 9th World Water Forum and the 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit, we are planning to show and transmit excellent videos as an opportunity for high school students from Japan and overseas to interact with each other.
We have been accepting video submissions since June 16, 2021, and we have now received ● submissions. We are very happy to have received so many wonderful video submissions. The videos can be viewed at the following URL, so please take a look.
We will be adding more videos to our library as they become available.
▼Please visit the following website for details▼
https://www.waterforum.jp/en/news/18928/
(Reported by Hiroko Fukuda, Manager)
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– Applications for hosting the 4th APWS official side event (public seminar and symposium) and related event are now open
◆Official side event (public seminar and symposium)
The 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit (4th APWS) will be held in Kumamoto City on April 23 and 24, 2022, and we are looking for organizations to host an official side event (Public Seminar and Symposium) open to the public during the conference period for the purpose of disseminating information on water-related awareness.
Depending on the situation of the COVID-19, there is a possibility that overseas participants may not be able to attend the venue and that the number of domestic participants attending the venue may decrease, but even in this case, we plan to conduct it as a hybrid using online services.
Closing Time and Date: Noon on Monday, 31st January 2022 (JST)
◆Related event
We are inviting organizations to host events aimed at raising awareness about water and disseminating information at different venues before and after the 4th APWS and recognizing them as related events.
Closing Time and Date: Noon on Wednesday, 23rd March 2022 (JST)
▼Please visit the following website for details▼
https://www.waterforum.jp/en/news/18909/
(Reported by Hiroko Fukuda, Manager)
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・Report from the Japan Water Forum
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– Outcomes of the 12th APWF Webinar with UN-ESCAP about the SDG6 progress and COVID-19 impacts in Asia and the Pacific
The APWF has organized the APWF webinar series as a part of the vital preparation process for the 4th APWS. The APWF webinar series aims to widen and deep-dive into the knowledge of government officials from 49 countries in Asia and the Pacific, including those working in Japanese embassies, and hold discussions on the latest water water-related issues from different perspectives.
In the 12th APWF webinar organized on 11th November 2021, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) discussed its Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6) activities.
▼Please visit the following website for details▼
https://www.waterforum.jp/en/news/18889/
(Reported by Yumiko Asayama, Manager)
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– Outcomes of the 5th JWF webinar
The 5th JWF webinar was held on Wednesday, 24th November, and 93 participants from 13 countries including the Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa enjoyed it. Mr. Tsutomu Nagata, Senior Councilor of the Environment Bureau and Director of the Water Conservation Section, Kumamoto City, gave a presentation on the theme of Regional Inclusive Public-Private Collaboration for Water Conservation.
During the presentation, he explained in detail that Kumamoto City covers all of the water supply for its 740,000 citizens with groundwater, and showed examples of how the city has been managing its groundwater using a video. He also explained how Kumamoto City has recovered from the devastating earthquake.
Please visit the following website for details▼
https://www.waterforum.jp/en/news/18910/
(Reported by Reiko Yoshii, Manager）
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JWF News Vol. 206 / 15 December 2021
Japan Water Forum
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