The Handbook ofCoastal Restoration– Planning, Technologies, and Implementation –Volume 1 INTRODUCTION

June, 2007WAVE
Waterfront Vitalization and Environment Research CenterTranslation:

Sayuko Ninomiya, Tokyo Kyuei co., LtdTable of contents
1. Coastal Restoration and its Development
1.1 Pathway to nature restoration(1) Japan and its coasts(2) Environmental measures taken at home and abroad(3) Environmental measures taken in the sea (coastal areas)(4) Pathway to nature restoration
1.2 Handbook of Coastal Restoration(1) What is nature restoration?
(2) Ecosystems in the sea – important roles of tidal flats, seaweed andseagrass beds, and coral reefs in coastal areas(3) Promotion of nature restoration(4) Components of Handbook of Coastal Restoration
2. Comprehensive Approach to Nature Restoration
2.1 Planning of nature restoration strategies in coastal areas(1) Strategic planning in nature restoration
2.2 Understanding the relationships between people’s lives and coastal
environments(1) People’s lives and coastal environments(2) Relationships between people’s lives and coastal areas today
2.3 Formulation of the restoration philosophy (image of the goal) and thespace utilization plan
2.4. Significant role of adaptive management and its application(1) Significant role of adaptive management(2) Application of adaptive management
3. Characteristics of Nature Restoration Technologies and their Trends
3.1 Characteristics of coastal ecosystems(1) Coastal ecosystem(2) Environments surrounding coastal ecosystems and their changes(3) Structure of coastal ecosystems

(4) Coastal ecosystem function
3. 2 Technological background needed for nature restoration(1) Basis for successful nature restoration(2) Key factors for ecosystem restoration and factors controllable by man(3) Technologies for habitat base(4) Technologies providing suitable environmental conditions for habitats
3. 3 Recent developments and challenges of restoration technologies(1) Technological development in base material used for creating biohabitats(2) Development of prediction methods for coastal ecosystem(3) Development of evaluation methods for coastal ecosystem
4. Partnerships in Nature Restoration Projects
4.1 Preconditions for developing partnerships(1) Partnerships based on the local views of nature(2) Focal points of nature protection and nature restoration
4.2 Procedures for developing partnerships(1) Citizens’ involvement, goal setting and monitoring from the planningstage(2) Importance of the coordination between the government and the private
sector, and the allocation of their roles(3) Things to avoid
4.3 Useful examples(1) Shinned Coast, Nakatsu, Oita Prefecture(2) Efforts made for the coasts in Beppu Port
(3) Efforts made in Tsumatsusaka (Niezaki District)Preface
The Japanese government authorized the Basic Policy for Nature Restoration inApril 2003, following the enactment of the Law for Nature Restoration in Januaryof the same year. With these policies in place, the government expressed thenation’s commitment to promote comprehensive policies for the restoration of thenatural environment, and thereby to realize a society with a harmonious
coexistence of nature and human beings.
Japan is surrounded by the sea. Major cities in Japan are deeply dependent on thesea and its coastal environments, in comparison to other major cities in the world.
According to statistics shown in a book several years ago, out of 19 Japanese cities
with a population of more than 500,000, 16 cities were fronting the sea. In contrast,in the United Kingdom, also an island nation, only one of their five cities with apopulation of over a half a million, Liverpool was on the sea. Nearer home in Korea,
Busan and Incheon are facing the sea, that’s 2 out of 7 cities with such apopulation.
This emphasizes the significance of restoring marine and coastal environments,
whilst also creating a society with a harmonious coexistence with nature,especially in urban areas where natural environments have been diminishing.
Among all, tidal flats, seaweeds and seagrass beds, and coral reefs are the mostimportant coastal environments to be restored, as they are the interface of land,marine water, and air.
Handbook of Coastal Restoration – Planning, Technologies, and Implementation
was compiled to offer the concepts of nature restoration and technologicalinformation applicable to the restoration projects. This handbook is written in four
volumes. Volume one, subtitled Introduction features the concepts for restoring
marine environments and necessary attention. Volume two, subtitled Tidal Flats,
Volume three, subtitled Seaweeds and Seagrass Beds and Volume four, subtitledCoral Reefs are designed to offer technical assistance in the development of eachecosystem and its management approaches.
Volume one features the concepts of a strategic approach in coastal restoration
projects. Chapter 1.) Restoration of the Sea and its Development; offers thehistorical background of policy measures and the concepts distinctive in promoting
nature restoration. Chapter 2.) Comprehensive Approach in Nature Restoration;
explains the need for a strategic approach involving local communities as well as
the new concept of adaptive management. Chapter 3.) Characteristics of NatureRestoration Technologies and their Trends; gives a summary on the scientificunderstanding of coastal ecosystems and introduces the results of recent
technological developments. Chapter 4. Partnerships in Nature Restoration
Projects;

coversthenecessary

procedures

andconsideration

topromoteparticipation and collaboration of various entities in local communities. Several
useful examples for such partnerships feature in the back of the book. As this booksummarizes the ideas on current science and technological achievements as well as
cutting-edge approaches, we hope that it will be readily available as a reference inefforts for nature restoration.
Companion volumes of No.2, No.3 and No.4, which specifically target tidal flats,
seaweeds and seagrass beds and coral reefs, respectively, were edited to include
concrete approaches and technologies obtained from the latest knowledge on
nature restoration. These three volumes, however, may not provide sufficient
coverage of all areas of restorations efforts, as the field of coastal restoration is arelatively new area of research. Furthermore, as the Japanese archipelago
stretches from south to north, with its different climates and coastal environments,
we hope these manuals together with this Volume one, will assist you in flexibly
applying restoration approaches in accordance with the regional characteristics
and project objectives.
The restoration of nature with the assistance of human beings is one of a numberof newly developed technological approaches. With a further accumulation ofknowledge and technological development, together with various efforts andexperiences in local communities, we will refine these handbook manuals to fit theneed more effectively.
We hope these handbook manuals will serve the efforts to restore the naturalenvironment and make possible the realization of a harmonious coexistence
between nature and human beings.