Japanese Experiences derived fromhaving overcome Water Pollution
December 15th , 2010
WEPA Dialogue in Nepal

Nobuo Yoshida
Director, Water Environment Division
Environment Management Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Japan

Japanese rapid economic growth

The average real economic growth rate (%)• The average real economic growth rate marked 9.1%
through 1950’s, 60’s and early 70’s in Japan

9.1% between 1953-1973

4.2% between 1974-1990

0.9% between 1991-2009

Year
Ministry of the Environment

Transit of the economic growth rate in Japan2Four Major Pollution Issues

Niigata MinamataDisease

Itai-Itai Disease
MinamataDisease

Yokkaichi Asthma
Ministry of the Environment3

Problem①：①：Serious
Damage by toxic substance①：• Minamata Disease
Found in Minamata city, Kumamoto in 1956
◆ Causality:◆“Methyl Mercury” contained in effluent from chemical factories◆

Main symptoms:
Paresthesia of limbs, ataxio, narrowed visual field, auditory disorder,disorder of equilibrium, language disorder

Victims certified in law: about 3,000 person◆ Estimated Damege◆（Health, Fishery etc）
$4,510 million (estimated)• Same damage
founded in Niigata
the Environment※ $1Ministry= 84 ofJapaneseyenSource: Website of Minamata City4

Problem①：①：Serious
Damage by toxic substance①：• Itai-Itai Disease
Found in Jintsugawa river basinin Toyama Prefecture in 1955
◆ Causality:“Cadmium” contained in untreatedeffluent from Mines◆ Main symptoms:◆Kidney damages and softening of bone causedby consumption of food contaminated by Cadmium

Victims certified in law: about 200 person◆ Estimated Damage（Health, Agriculture etc）
: $ 603 million (estimated)◆the Environment※ $1Ministry= 84 ofJapaneseyenSource: Yomiuri Newspaper

5Problem②：②：Deteriorationof water in public water body②：

Dokai bay in ‘60s (Kitakyushu city)

Sumida river in early 70’s (Tokyo)

Ministry of the Environment

Tama River in ‘70’s (Tokyo)
6

Enactment of Water Pollution Control Law

Basic law for environmental pollution control (1967)※Replaced by the basic environment law in 1993◆

Establishment of Environmental Quality Standard (EQS)• EQS for the protection of human health（Health Item）• EQS for the conservation of the living environment (Living Environment Item)

Water Pollution Control Law (1970)◆Overcoming “Follow-up” approach• From designation of regulation area to national uniform regulation• Unified national effluent standards ＋ more at local level, if needed◆

Tightening of regulations for compliance• Direct penalty for non-compliance of effluent standards◆

Unification of law system in principle• Unification of effluent standards for all business (with some exceptions)

Ministry of the Environment

7

Water Quality Standards (EQS)
Water Quality
Standards (EQS)

Water Pollution
Toxic substance
Mercury, Arsenic,
Chlorinated organic compound,etc

Organic Pollution etc
Dirtiness and muddiness of water

Effect on people（Drinking/seafood intake）
Effect on
aquatic life

Health Item
Nationally uniform27 substances designatedMonitored substances(No standards for them, butneeded to collect scientific data)

BOD/COD, DO, SS etc

Living Environment
Item

Nutrient salts

Designed to conserve theproperties as well as thefauna and flora closely
related to the living of people

Causality of eutrophication
Nitrogen, Phosphorus
Ministry of the Environment

Set targets by categorizing
into classes in accordancewith water bodies
8How the Water Pollution Control Law WorksNationwide regulations o factories
or commercial facilities

Pre-regulation

Report installation orchange of specified facility

Order toChange Plans

Measure and log pollution status of effluent
RegularRegulation

Emergency
MeasuresOn-site inspections & Reports collected

Order remedy
Order suspension

Effluent regulations

Penalty

Prohibition of water containing substancesclassified as toxins infiltrating into groundwater

Order to take measuresrelated to purification

Water Pollution due to abnormal
water shortage, etc

Order to takeemergency measures

Emergency measures & report of accidentsOrder to takeemergency measures

Water Quality Monitoring Measurement Program
At Public Water Areaby prefectural government

Implementation of regular monitoring
Announcement of monitoring results

Domestic WaterControl

Designation of important areas
by prefectural government

Establishment of plan for promotion of implementationof domestic wastewater measures by municipalities

TotalpollutantloadcontrolThe government’s “Fundamental Policy
for Reduction of Total Pollution Loadin enclosedcoastalseas

Establishment of “Plan for Reduction of Total Pollution Load”
by prefectural governments and regulations

Ministry of the Environment

9Progress of domestic water treatment• Rapid increase of sewerage population from 1970’s up to now
120Population ( ×106)

Total Population

Human waste
Treatment Population

1008060
40

Water Supply Population

20Sewerage Population

0Year

1910
Ministry of the Environment

1930

1950

1970

1990

Transition of Japanese population,
and water and sewerage population

2010
10

Water Quality Improvement in Sumida River, Tokyo• Sumida river has relived as Tokyo’s representative landscapeby effluent regulations, sewerage construction, dredging ofcontaminated sediment, and diversion of water for purification
Sumida River became
designated water area in 1964
Tokyo Metropolitan Pollution Control
Ordinance was enacted in 1969

1971

Ministry of the Environment

Today11

Water Quality Improvement in Dokai Bay, Kitakyushu• A miracle city recovering from the “Dead Sea”

“Dead Sea” where fish cannot live

Dokai Bay has recovered

Monitoring data in Dokai bay

Illegal construction along a river

A river as a symbol of the citywith water-attracting space

Water quality in Murasaki Riverand Sewerage coverage ratio

Ministry of the Environment

Source: Web site of Kitakyushu city 12

Water Quality Improvement in Tama River, Tokyo• Water quality in Tama river has been improved by the progress ofsewage construction, resulting in creation of good water environment

Environment standard

BOD 75% value

BOD 75% value (mg/L)

BOD 75% value (mg/L)

Yearly Change of Water Quality (Chofu Weir of Tama River)

1960sDiffusion rate (%)

Note 1: The diffusion rate is that of sewerage in Tama River basin
Note 2: The water quality is the annual BOD value(75% water quality value)at Chofu Weir of Tama River

Ministry of the Environment

Present13

State of Achievement of Environmental Standard• Health Items：
Achieved Environmental standard almost over the country• Living Environment Items:
Improvement tendency as a whole, but still low achievement rate in
enclosed water area such as lakes and inland seas
Trends in achievement of BOD/COD environmental standard

100

Achievement Rate(%)

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20Total
全体Rivers
河川

10Lakes
湖沼

Seas
海域

1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

0
Ministry of the Environment

14

Economic loss without Consideration of the Environment

Case of pollution

Economic loss( $ / year )Expenditure forpollution control( $ / year )Minamata Disease

150 million

84 million

Itai-Itai Disease

30 million

7.1 million

15.5 million
Yokkaichi Asthmawithout
any countermeasures taken

175 million

250 million※The above values are 1989 price of equalized values of economic loss and actual
pollution control expenditure with assumption that maturity period is 15 to 30 years.

Source: Japan’s experience
the Environment※ $1Ministry= 84 ofJapaneseyen15

Clean Asia Initiative (CAI)• Low Carbon & Sound Material-cycle Model for Asia• Develop economically while living in harmony with theenvironment to build a sustainable society

Environmental Loads

Leap Frogging in Developing Countries
Previous development
path for industrializedcountries

Development path ofindustrialized countries

Previous development pathfordeveloping countries Development path ofdeveloping countries
workingtowardalow-environment-load society

Economic Growth
Ministry of the Environment

16