From January 31st to February 2nd, InterAqua 2024, a water business exhibition promoting sustainable corporate activities, was held at Tokyo Big Sight (official website: https://www.interaqua.jp/). One of the panelists was a young person who had participated in the Youth Water Forum, a program initiated by the Japan Water Forum aimed at human-resources development and awareness-raising.
In part 1, Director General of the JWF Dr. Kotaro Takemura delivered a speech entitled All water utilization should be based on gravity flow systems. It referred to a political recommendation regarding the transfer of water administration from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), and the Ministry of the Environment (MOE).
In a session entitled, “What will the environment, economy and society be like in 50 years?”, panelists ranging in age from their teens to their forties exchanged opinions based on their respective expertise. The main talking points were: imagining a society in fifty years; how to view society from the perspective of the basin; and population decline in basin communities.
Discussions centered on how to make the world a better place in fifty years, with reference to the policies of other countries; efforts by youths towards tackling marine plastic litter; and the Noto Peninsula earthquake which occurred on January 1st. This was a good opportunity for all participants, ranging from teenagers to those in their seventies, including audience members, to gain a view of the future of regional communities from the perspective of water.
For the Youth Water Forum, we have adopted an inter-generational approach, focusing on dialogue between generations. A social agenda intertwined with environmental, economic, and social problems always includes discussion of a variety of water problems. I hope you will join the Youth Water Forum. Please visit the official website ( https://www.waterforum.jp/ywf/en/ )
Outline: InterAqua 2024 Organizers’ Seminar: “The Future after the Transfer of Water Administration: Towards Sustainable Regional Communities in 50 Years”
Time & Venue: Wednesday, January 31st, 2024, 10:30-12:00,Stage A (East 8 Hall)
Part 1: 10:30-
Lecture: “All water utilization should be based on gravity flow systems – challenges and issues to be studied in order to start today”
Lecturer: Director General of the JWF Dr. Kotaro Takemura
Part 2: 11:15 –
Talking Session: “What will the Environment, Economy and Society be like in 50 Years?”
Panelists:
Mr. Ikuro Kasuga, Associate Professor at the University of Tokyo
Mr. Takahiro Seki, EY Strategy and Consulting
Ms. Sakiko Horikawa, Tsuru University
Moderator: Mr. Noriyoshi Takeda, Editor-in-Chief, Nihon Suido Shinbun
(Reported by Sayoko Kuwahara, Chief Manager)
