ISSN 0912-7402

No.62 : April 2016

– Save Water, Save Lakes –What Is Happening to the Lakes in Indonesia(The Grandiose “Toba” and Others)

T h e 1 6 t h Wo r l d L a k e C o n f e r e n c e(WLC16: BALI, Nov. 7-11, 2016) is on thehorizon. As we mentioned in the previous
issue of this newsletter, the host country
Indonesia has over 1,500 lakes in total(covering both small and large ones). They
support local livelihood and socio-economic
development, e.g., by providing hydropower
and irrigation/industrial water, mitigating
flood damage, and promoting tourism, etc.
Despite that lakes are giving such benefits
to us, our activities are damaging themand their ecosystems in various ways.
To name a few, eutrophication, sediment
run-off, and water contamination which isespecially prominent in congested urban
areas (mostly caused by industrial/domestic
discharge), or degradation of ecosystems
in rural areas where irrigation and fishing
are overly exceeding, are ubiquitously seen
problems around the world. However, howmuch awareness there are and how muchactions are taken among stakeholders forsound and sustainable environment of theirlakes can vary from nations to nations,
often depending on their social situations.
U n f o r t u n a t e l y, f r o m w h a t I L E C h a switnessed through the consultative visits toIndonesian lakes and their basins in the last
few years, it can be said that more attentions
and actions are needed for their degradedenvironment. For example, the Citarum,

IN
THIS
ISSUE

which flows into Jakarta, is ranked as oneof the world’s dirtiest rivers. It is largely
polluted by industrial discharge from its
upstream, Bandung, and also by illegal
dumping on the banks.

Illegal dumping in the upstream of
Citarum RiverIn such an alarming condition, theIndonesian Government has launched anational conservation policy for the designated
15 priority lakes. To better understand current
status of Indonesian lakes which are wellreflected in these priority lakes, WLC16
prospective participants are recommended tovisit at least one of them before or after the
Conference in Bali, if possible. Just to givesuggestions, here are the top three priority
lakes ILEC would recommend for yourextended trips:■Lake Toba: Situated in North Sumatra,
which is just across from the Malay
Peninsula over the Strait of Malacca, thislargest lake in Indonesia is massive in its
volume (approx. 130km² in surface area

■ What Is Happening to the Lakes in Indonesia■ Lake Biwa & Lago Trasimeno Exchange Meeting■ ILEC Facilitates Nation-Wide “Basin Discussion” in Japan■ ILBM-ESSVA Workshop in Kisumu■ The 12th Term Scientific Committee Comes on Board■ “Lakes & Reservoirs” Latest Issues■ Letter from Scientific Committee (Special Edition)and 530m deep at maximum）. It is also
an internationally important large lake,
as being the second largest in South East
Asia (the first is Cambodia’s Tonle Sap in
the rainy season) and also known as theworld’s largest volcanic lake. The lake issurrounded by mountains, and also is home
to Samosir, an inhabited island located at
its center. Its depth drastically drops fromthe shore to the bottom. Due to such uniquetopography, the lake water may seemingly
look transparent, however, by taking aclose look at densely populated areas of
the basin, water hyacinths are covering theeutrophic lake surface, or household waste
is littered along the shoreline, eventuallycontaminating the water. The whole basin
creates tranquil atmosphere of the fishingand farming villagers’ lives; aside fromholiday seasons when a large number ofnational/international tourists visit thisarea, the lake is usually crowded with local
people going across on the boat transporting
their agricultural and commercial products.

Lake Toba■ Report from a Former JICA Training Participant(Morocco)■ Overview of ILEC Activities (Oct. 2015 - Mar. 2016)■ Sakura Exchange Program in Science■ Biwa-Kids Ambassadors Go to Thailand Vol.2■ Thank You for Your Support!

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To reach Lake Toba from other parts of
the world, or from Bali, the best way is toarrive in Medan first by air, and then change
to ground transportation. While driving
through the suburbs of Medan toward Lake
Toba, you will see vast plantations of palm
oil and natural rubber. While the industry
is largely supporting the economics ofIndonesia, which is Asia’s one of the biggest
suppliers of these two resources, drainage
from the plantations is causing serious waterpollution. In addition, both of palm andrubber trees’ exploitation efficiency drops
after 10 or 12 years, and they have to bereforested within 25 years. Therefore, waste
water treatment and effective utilizationof used trees (e.g., as biomass) are urgent
tasks in this country. The plantations aregradually being expanded to the vicinity of
Lake Toba, but the surroundings of the lake
are still blessed with untouched nature andtraditional vistas created by remains andhouses of the indigenous Batak folk. For
the above reasons, Toba is a worth-visiting
priority lake of Indonesia, although it islocated in a remote area. Because of thelimited availability of the travel information,
and also for the security reason, hiring a
tour-guide is highly recommended upon
traveling to the lake.

the WLC16 venue. It is situated deep inthe mountains where the local livelihood
is hardly well off. Apart from few tourism,
the main income sources in this region are
irrigated agriculture and fishery. Actually,
agricultural drainage and increasing
fish-farming nets are degrading the lake
environment. Although Lake Batur is not aslarge as Toba, the panoramic view stretchedfrom the Mt. Batur to the lake is a must-see.
For more information of Lake Batur, pleasealso refer to the featured article in theprevious issue.
■L ake Rawa Pening: This shallow
volcanic lake, approx. 25km² in surface areaand 4m deep on average (14m at deepest),
is located in Central Java. Unlike the othertwo lakes introduced above, Rawa Pening is
not a touristic destination but an importantlake for local residents as it provides themwith recreational space, fishing resources,and other income sources. As an example ofresource utilization, some residents excavate
mud from the lake bottom and process it toLake Rawa Pening covered with water
hyacinths, and bunches of mowedwater hyacinths■Lake Batur: This caldera lake, approx.
16km² in surface area and 88m deep at
maximum, is located in the northwesternBali and can be visited on a day trip from

Mt. Batur, with Lake Batur at its footsell as fertilizer for mushrooms. Or, others
mow and dry water hyacinths thrived alonglake shore to make souvenir crafts out ofthem; however, the size of this businessremains small and not effective enough as
measures for exterminating this invasiveplant.
The reason why we recommend a trip
to this lake is in its location. To visit Lake
Rawa Pening, it can be most convenient tolodge in the ancient capital, Yogyakarta,
where you can enjoy touring around theWorld Heritage sites, such as the Prambanan
Temple Compounds (located near the
Yogyakarta Airport) and Borobudur Temple
Compounds (which would be on the way up
to Lake Rawa Pening from Yogyakarta).

The Borobudur Temple Compounds

All these three lakes are scattered arounddifferent parts of Indonesia. Therefore, if
you attend the Conference in exotic Bali,
the island of Hinduism, and then travel toLake Toba for instance, you will experience
cultural and religious diversity of Indonesia:
Once you enter the North Sumatra Region,
where Christianity is the majority, biculturallandscapes mixed with churches and Batak
houses will welcome you.
The WLC16 Organizer is calling for yourparticipation (free of charge, but online
registration is required in advance) and also
abstract submissions until June 7th, 2016 at
www.wlc16bali.org. Please also stay tuned
at the website for coming updates. We lookforward to meeting our readers in Bali thiscoming fall!

Lake Biwa & Lago Trasimeno Exchange Meeting
On November 19, 2015, ILEC organized a tele-conference with Perugia, Italy,
the Lake Biwa & Lago Trasimeno Exchange Meeting, at its office. The meeting
was held to follow and share the interchanging born on the occasion of the 15th
World Lake Conference (WLC15: Perugia, Italy - 2014 September), during which
event the Local Policy Forum was held to have experience sharing among thecitizen-working groups from these two lakes. The tele-conference was attended
by the WLC15 citizen working group participants, international students from the
University of Shiga Prefecture and University for Foreigners of Perugia (after the
WLC15, the Universities had concluded the agreement on exchange program), andlocal high school students from Shiga, and others. Throughout the meeting, active
opinion exchanges and presentations were made to deepen understandings for bothlakes. One of the Italian students, who participated, commented that the meeting
was a fruitful opportunity to discover and learn even more about lakes issues.

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ILEC Facilitates Nation-Wide “Basin Discussion” in Japan
During January 26-27, 2016, ILEC hosted

and attended by nearly thirty experts anda domestic forum in Otsu, Japan, targeting

officials nation-wide, from the Ministry of

government officials and researchers engaged

Environment, local government authorities andin lake basin management. Although ILEC

academic institutions.

had organized a series of domestic fora of thisOn the first day, a variety of presentations,kind before, this time the discussion was rather

regardless of the size and legal status

centered at verifying the current situation ofof lakes, were made by representatives

basin management in Japan after the 2014’s

from Lakes Biwa (Shiga), Kasumigaura

enactment of Water Cycle Policy, with the case

(Ibaraki), Mikata-goko (Fukui) Kahoku-gatastudies from participating lakes. The concept(Ishikawa), Inawashiro (Fukushima), andof the Integrated Lake Basin Management

Sanaru (Shizuoka). They were followed(ILBM) was also introduced to the participantsby discussions among participants which

by Prof. Masahisa Nakamura (Shiga

continued to the following day. The forum was

University) who gave keynote lectures. The

concluded with a field trip around the southern

two-day forum was presided by Prof. Naokopart of Lake Biwa, and positive comments

Hirayama (the University of Shiga Prefecture)

were made from participants, suggesting
continued organization of this event. Indeed,this year’s edition of the forum triggered agood momentum for enhanced network among
the Japanese lake-people, which is likely
to be growing toward the 17th World Lake
Conference already scheduled to be hosted by
Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan in 2018.

ILBM-ESSVA Workshop in Kisumu
The Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM) – Ecosystem Services

poorly appreciated by the local people. These findings were thenShared Value Assessment (ESSVA) Workshop was held in Kisumu,

compared with the ESFP findings that were prepared by some of the

Kenya during November 24-25, 2015. ESSVA is a new participatory

workshop participants. This was to verify the perceptional profile andapproach proposed by ILEC to activate ILBM platform process byhighlight discrepancies and thus guide the planning of future activities.

assessing the status of ecosystem services and management challenges

Through the discussion, participants recognized the usefulness ofin the lake basin through people’s perception (self-evaluation) called

ILBM-ESSVA as a promising approach to improve lake basin governance

ESPP (Ecosystem Services Perceptional Profile) and facts/figures aboutin Kenya. Participants mapped out and proposed a national program forthe basin conditions called ESFP (Ecosystem Services Fact Profile).

managing lake basins in the country for sustainable use. The workshop

The workshop was attended by 25 experts representing a wide range

provided a forum for discussing ILBM Platform Process progress since itsof interests including county and national Governments, national

first introduction in the country and how ILBM concept can be interfusedresearch institutions, academic organizations, NGOs, and internationalwith the ongoing IWRM-based management process to ensure Kenyan

organizations (Lake Victoria Basin Commission, UNEP and WWF).

lakes are managed for sustainable use through ILBM-ESSVA.

Prior to the workshop, a pilot ESPP survey was conductedin three lakes, Baringo, Nakuru and Victoria (Nyanza Gulf),
and their results were presented at the workshop. The ESPP
findings indicated a reasonable understanding among the local
people regarding the magnitude of resource developing activities
characteristic in their basins. However, the impact of those activities
on the sustainability of the lake basins’ ecosystem services seemed

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The 12th Term Scientific Committee Comes on Board
The Scientific Committee, comprising

Chair Prof. Masahisa Nakamura (Japan)

researches in the lakes of the world anda small number of internationally renowned

has resigned from the Committee at thetheir regions stepped down, respectively.

scientists and government officials specialized

end of 11th Term, leaving significant

Finally, Prof. Luigi Naselli-Flores, whoin the field of lake and reservoir management

contributions to ILEC over the last 21 years.

made extraordinary contributions to ILEC,

and conservation, is responsible for

He was succeeded by the New Member,especially in the organization of 15th Worldadvancing and implementing scientificProf. Yoshihisa Shimizu (Japan). Together

Lake Conference (2014), has also left after

matters supporting the aims of ILEC.

with Prof. Nakamura, Dr. Richard Robarts

his 9 years of service. We would like to

As of April 1, 2016, the Committee,(Canada) and Prof. Nikolai Aladin (Russia)

express our sincere gratitude to these four

newly chaired by Prof. Walter Rast (USA),

who have supported ILEC’s activities in the

distinguished Members for their service andcommenced into its 12th Term. The former

last 15 years while actively conducting theirsupport.

The ILEC Scientific Committee 12th Term Members (April 2016 - March 2019)
Name

Nationality

Aﬃliation

Walter RAST (Chair)

USA

Professor Emeritus and Director, International Watershed Studies, The meadows Center for Water andthe Environment, Texas State University

Tsugihiro WATANABE

Japan

Professor, Laboratory of Regional Planning, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto
University

Adelina SANTOS-BORJAPhilippines

Department Manager III, Resource Management and Development Department, Laguna Lake
Development Authority

Sandra AZEVEDO

BrazilProfessor, Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Brazil Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

Daniel OLAGO

Kenya

Professor, Institute for Climate Change and Adaptation & Department of Geology, University of Nairobi

Juan SKINNER

GuatemalaVice-president, the Lake Atitlán Environmental Protection Society

Salif DIOP

SenegalMember, Agricultural Sciences Section, Academy of Sciences and Techniques of Senegal

Ajit PATTNAIK

India

Chief Executive, Chilika Development Authority

Zhengyu HU

China

Deputy Director, the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Yoshihisa SHIMIZU

Japan

Professor, Research Center for Environmental Quality Management, Graduate School of Engineering,
Kyoto University

Scientiﬁc Journal of ILEC
Lakes & Reservoirs: Research and Management
Latest Issues
Volume 20, Issue 3 (September 2015 )Pages

Article Title

139 ‒154 The challenges of management: Recent experiences in implementing fisheries co-management in Lake Victoria, Kenya
155 ‒165 Development issues regarding Bunot Lake: the Lesser Lake among the seven lakes of San Pablo City, Philippines
Determination of the status of stakeholder participation in the management of the Lake Malawi basin through
166 ‒181
application of Integrated Lake Basin Management
182‒186 Norden multimesh gill net for fish sampling in lotic environments
187‒ 205 Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia: A perspective on its transborder hydrological and resources governance
206 ‒ 215 Environmental control of the dominant phytoplankton in Aras Reservoir (Iran): A multivariate approach
216 ‒ 228 Development and application of a simulation model for reservoir management

1st Author
Kevin O. Obiero
Bing Baltazar C. Brillo
C. L. Chidammodzi
Arne Fjälling
Mak Sithirith
Fereidun Mohebbi
A. Bhadra

Volume 20, Issue 4 (December 2015 )Pages

Article Title

231‒ 232 Editorial: The 16th World Lake Conference is on the horizon and a New Journal Emphasis
233 ‒ 242 Spatial and temporal sedimentation changes in the Three Gorges Reservoir of China
243 ‒ 255 Degradation of Lake Ziway, Ethiopia: A study of the environmental perceptions of school students

1st Author
Walter Rast
Peng Gao
Hayal Desta

Tsungai A. Zengeya
256 ‒ 263 Effects of habitat and fishing on fish assemblages in a tropical reservoir: Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe
Catch per unit effort estimation and factors influencing it from recreational angling of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus
Emmanuel A. Sweke,
264 ‒ 274
nerka) and management implications for Lake Toya, Japan
Mrunalini Shivaji Jadhav
275 ‒ 284 Water Quality Prediction of Gangapur Reservoir (India) Using LS-SVM and Genetic Programming
285 ‒ 299 Water quality prediction capabilities of WASP model for a tropical lake system

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Sheela A. Moses

Letter from Scientific Committee (Special Edition)
Inaugural Address by New Chair

Walter Rast (USA)It is with both pleasure and anticipationthat I assume the Chairmanship of the ILEC
Scientific Committee. My predecessor has
completed an amazing tenure in furthering
the mandate and goals of ILEC, which
remains the premier organization focusing onlakes and other lentic water systems aroundthe world. The Integrated Lentic-Lotic
Basin Management (IL 2 BM) Platform
developed over the last decade, combinedwith the Ecosystem Service Shared Value
Assessment / Ecosystem Service Shared
Risk Assessment (ESSVA/ESSRA) concept,
has emerged as a valuable approach for
identifying and addressing the scientificand governance issues challenging thesustainability of the ecosystem services
these important waterbodies provide to

Retirement Address by Former ChairILEC was established in February 1986
as an international NGO with a special
focus on promoting and contributing tosound management of lakes and other lentic
water systems globally for sustainable useof their resources, an area of environmental
management that Japan has been placing
particularly importance in international
cooperation. The ILEC Scientific Committee
was established in the same year, thus making
its 30th anniversary this year. I joined theCommittee in lieu of the Inaugural Chair,
the late Prof. Tatuo Kira who stepped
down in 1997, and was given the honor ofbeing associated with other fifteen or somembers representing various parts of theworld. When Prof. Sven Jorgensen, the 2nd
generation Chair, resigned in 2005, I was
requested to assume the post of Acting Chair.
Then in 2007, I was selected to assume the
3rd generation Chairmanship. Thus, myassociation with the Committee has become
20 years as Member and a little more than 10
years as Chair this year.
D u r i n g m y s e r v i c e a s M e m b e r, t h eactivities I was involved in ranged fromparticipation in the project to develop
ILEC’s World Lake Databook (subsequently
transformed into the World Lake Database),development and implementation of a training
course in lake water quality managementhumanity. Accordingly, one of my majortasks will be to continue refinement andapplication of the IL 2 BM-ESSVA/ESSRA
approach to additional lentic water systems
around the world. This includes specificconsideration of their upstream anddownstream hydrologic and jurisdictional
linkages, and the governance challenges they
represent. Assessment and improvement oflake governance will remain a core effort
within this goal. This will not be an easytask, but one that is critical for increasing thevisibility and importance of lakes and otherlentic water systems in global water arena
discussions and international water fora. I
look forward to this challenge, with the hopethat all the friends and partners of ILEC will
join me in helping to make it happen.

Masahisa Nakamura（Japan）

supported by JICA, inauguration of the ILEC
Journal, Lakes and Reservoirs: Researchand Management, as well as planning andfacilitation of the World Lake Conferences
held in Lacar, Argentina (1993), Ibaraki,
Japan (1995), Copenhagen, Denmark (1997)
and Shiga, Japan (2001). From 2003 to 2005,
I was fortunate to have a chance to head
an international project to study the statusof management of 28 selected major lakes
in the world. The project was financially
supported by the Global Environment Facility(GEF) and executed by the World Bank, andinvolved experts from some 40 countries.
While being Chair, the major challenge forme was to develop and promote a global
program on managing lakes and their basins
for sustainable use, the basic conceptual
framework, termed the Integrated Lake BasinManagement (ILBM), having transpired outof the above GEF project. Over the past ten
years or so, the ILBM related activities havebeen collaborated by UNEP, and researchand promotion activities have been supported
by various Japanese Government agencies
in charge of environment, foreign affairs
and education, as well as by universities andresearch institutions in Shiga-Kyoto region,in particular Shiga University. In the courseof implementing ILBM activities, the JICA
supported training program on lake water

quality management has been transformed
to ILBM training course. Subsequently,
many new ILBM related concepts including
the currently pursued concepts such as
ILBM-Heartware and ILBM-ESSVA, havealso evolved through activities held at thenational, regional and global levels, apartfrom ILBM application in the Transboundary
Water Assessment Program (TWAP) and innational program development in Kenya,
India and Malaysia. In the meantime, theWorld Lake Conference continued to have
served as invaluable means to promote local,
national, regional and international lake basin
management agenda in India (Jaipur, 2007),China (Wuhan, 2009), USA (Austin, 2011),
and Italy (Perugia, 2014).
Upon stepping down as the 3rd generation
Chair of ILEC Scientific Committee, I amvery grateful for having been able to serve
over the past decades as stated above, forwhich I thank you all very much.

5

Report from a Former JICA Training Participant
Berrad Farida（Morocco）
Dr. Berrad Farida participated in a training program, “Integrated Basins Management for Lake Environment” in FY 2013.
Hereunder the report from her, as to her experience through the training program and current activities.
When I was considering writing this article, I hesitatedbetween giving a sort of ‘testimony’ on the experience ofmy training about ILBM, the lessons learned and how useful
all this was to me, or writing about what I actually achieved
upon returning to Morocco. Reading previous reports fromother trainees, I felt that in my case I do not, in truth, have
any tangible or solid achievements to share. But then I
remembered that Nakamura sensei insisted that no one canmake a miraculous change introducing ILBM concept andframework in a quick way.
My action plan, as I perceived it, could only be a kind ofplea for an integrated watershed management of the dams
under construction in the Tangier-Tetouan Region (northern
Morocco). Indeed, to propose an action plan would beostentatious as watershed management is a responsibilityof many stakeholders and my department is only supposed
to coordinate the preparation and implementation ofmanagement plans. I thought, and still believe that this is aunique opportunity to prepare, beforehand, the best possible
environment for the sustainable and integrated managementof all resources around future lakes. This should not only
ensure good water quality and prevent loss of capacity byRiver polluted by olive mills

siltation but also promote the development of the populations(upstream and downstream). It goes without saying that water
is a resource that is rare and highly prized for a country like
Morocco. ILBM seems like a very good approach to take on
and the implementation of the six pillars of ILBM may be
used in an iterative way as connections always exist between
one pillar and another (at least to my understanding). A
report of the present situation, dysfunctions, and challenges- to persuade the different involved stakeholders in order towork together - is under way but needs some more time, andefforts. Its goal, when completed, is to mount a project in oneof these basins as a demonstration or pilot site. This report
may benefit from the new European Union Support Program
for the Forest Policy in Morocco (Watersheds Component).
Meanwhile, I try to advocate for this approach in all theworkshops or meetings I attended in my region especiallyabout the risks of pollution and by giving a presentation on
ILBM at a university. The feedback I got is that students
and teachers are more interested in modeling and in othertechnical topics related with water and hydrology. My plan is
to discuss the possibility of organizing trainings about ILBM
for our staff and for researchers in order to emphasize thatgovernance is primordial when it comes to natural resourcesmanagement. Two final ideas I would like to mention: One isinspired by the concept of Jichikai or the spirit of community
in managing a small urban basin in my town. The second
concerns an oasis in which traditional laws and knowhow
about irrigation systems and the distribution of water shares
have been eroded and are causing serious problems ofpollution affecting people and the environment and where theDr. Farida in front of reservoir in Tangier Province

6solutions can be very simple if all the stake holders can only
find a way to work together.

Overview of ILEC Activities (Oct. 2015 - Mar. 2016)
Oct 18 ILEC organizes the Ramsar Biwa-Kids 3rd Pre-Workshop (Otsu & Kusatsu)
22 Nine Indian delegates visit ILEC through the HIDA project (Kusatsu)
22 Local high school students and teachers visit the JICA training participants at ILEC (Kusatsu)
Nov. 8-19 ILEC takes part in the Ha Long Bay Project for Green Growth (Quảng Ninh Province)
19 ILEC organizes a tele-conference, Lake Biwa & Lago Trasimeno Exchange Meeting (Kusatsu& Perugia)
21-24 ILEC organizes the Ramsar Biwa-Kids International Exchange Program (Chiang Mai)
24-26 ILEC Organizes ILBM-ESSVA Workshop (Kisumu)
25 ILEC hosts the Japan-Asia Youth Exchange Program in Science (Otsu & Kusatsu, - Dec.2)

PIC ❶26 ILEC visits the UNEP-HQ and Japan Embassy in Kenya (Nairobi)
29 ILEC exhibits at a citizen & youth forum on the Water, Agriculture & Global Environment Issue (Kyoto)
29 ILEC visits the Malaysian Heartware project sites (Kuala Selangor)【PIC❶】
30 ILEC organizes its Asian Scientific Committee Meeting (Putrajaya)
Dec 1 ILEC attends the WLC16 Pre-Conference (Putrajaya)
2 ILEC organizes the WLC16 Preparatory Meeting (Bandung)
3-6 ILEC conducts WLC16 consultative visits to Citarum River Basin and Lake Toba (Bandung, Parapat &Samosir Island)【PIC❷】

PIC ❷7-26 ILEC takes part in the Ha Long Bay Project for Green Growth (Quảng Ninh Province)
Jan. 26-27 ILEC hosts the Domestic Lake Basin Policy & Research Forum (Otsu)
Feb. 6 Consecutive lectures, Environment and Living Learning from Lake Biwa, Largest Lakein Japan, kicks off (Kusatsu, Otsu, Omihachiman & Takashima, - Mar 11)【PIC❸＆❹】
13 ILEC organizes the Ramsar Biwa-Kids Project Debriefing Session (Kusatsu)【PIC❺】
13-16 ILEC attends the ILBM-Heartware Expert Group Meeting (Siem Reap)
17 ILEC pays courtesy visits to Cambodian governmental agencies for promoting the WLC16
21 ILEC serves its home-made Funa Zushi at the Funa-Zushi Party (Kusatsu)
Mar. 4-23 ILEC takes part in the Ha Long Bay Project for Green Growth (Quảng Ninh
Province)

PIC ❸12-13 ILEC attends the World Agricultural Heritage Symposium and SATOYAMA Initiative
Domestic Network Meeting (Noto)
24 Ten Chinese delegates visit ILEC (through the Hunan Dongting Hu Project)

PIC ❹

PIC ❺

Sakura Exchange Program in Science
From November 25 to December 3

eight delegates including Professors ofthat this interchange leads to the further

2015, ILEC carried out “the Japan-Asia

Hunan Normal University and the teachersdevelopment of technology and theYouth Exchange Program in Science”

of primary and junior high schools fromenvironmental education in Hunan.

(known as Sakura Exchange Program in

Hunan in collaboration with the Research

Science), under the grant by the Japan

Center for Sustainability and Environment,

Science and Technology Agency (JST).

Shiga University, Shiga Prefectural

Hunan, a home to Lake Dongting andGovernment and private companies which

Xiang River, is a Province in China andsupport environmental business in Shiga.

has kept friendly relationship with Shiga

The delegates were introduced to thePrefecture, where Lake Biwa is located,Japanese technology, and environmental

for more than 30 years. ILEC welcomed

education in Shiga and Japan. We hope7

Biwa-Kids Ambassadors
Go to Thailand:
Vol.2 The Chiang Mai Meeting
The Biwa-Kids Ambassadors from Shiga Prefecture,
Japan made their visit to Chiang Mai, Thailand from
November 22 to 24, 2015. During the visit, they attended
the exchange program themed on “lakes and its foodculture” jointly organized with the local elementary
schools and universities. The six Ambassadors
successfully made five presentations on what they havelearned about their home-town lake, Biwa and its foodculture in the last months (about which, please read theprevious article, “Vol.1 Pre-Workshops,” featured in thelast issue). Another mission they have proudly completed
was to cook Japanese food using ingredients purchasedfrom the local market. They enjoyed tasting what they

After their return to Japan, the Ambassadors reported their

prepared (such as miso-soup, fish-flavored rice, and tempura,

year-long activities to Vice-Governor of Shiga Prefecture,etc.) and also discovering an exotic flavor of the Thai foodtheir families and others at the debriefing session held on

prepared by the local children.

February 13th. The traditional specialty of their hometown,
fermented Funa Zushi, preservedby them six months ago was also
served to the participants at thesession. Through the precious
experiences, they have become
more aware of the environmental
issues. Congratulations
Ambassadors, and we wish you
success in the years to come!

Thank You for Your Support!
●In the Fiscal Year 2015, ILEC received sponsorship from the following Supporting Member Organization(60,000 JPY or more):

INTERNATIONAL LAKE ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE FOUNDATION (ILEC)

1091 Oroshimo-cho, Kusatsu-city Shiga 520-001, JAPAN
Tel:+81-77-568-4567 / Fax:+81-77-568-4568 /Website: www.ilec.or.jp / Facebook: www.facebook.com/ilec.english*The latest issue and back issues of this newsletter are also available on our website above.

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