Research Program 1

Societal Transformation under
Environmental ChangeThis program aims at providing realistic perspectives and options to facilitate the transformation
towards a society that can flexibly respond to environmental changes caused by human activities
such as global warming and air pollution, as well as to natural disasters.
To demonstrate the fundamental significance of global environmental sustainability for humansociety, we need to make intellectually explicit the links between environmental change and natural
disasters on the one hand, and social issues such as livelihood, inequality, social security andconflict on the other, and reinforce understanding of these links in the real world. RIHN’s Societal
Transformation under Environmental Change research program contributes to this task.
The Program follows two lines of inquiry. The first conducts research on Asia’s long-term
paths of social and economic development in relation to climate change and environmental
history. Such studies offer historical understandings of the human-nature interface. For example,
postwar development of the industrial complex along Asia’s Pacific coast was made possible by
the combination of imported fossil fuels and utilization of rich local resources of land, water andbiomass. Urban and industrial development in the region produced both rapid economic growth
and at times severe environmental pollution and degradation. It is important to recognize the causes
and consequences of these historical processes in their own light, as well as for their significance tofuture societal change and policy deliberations.
The Program’s second line of inquiry examines the kinds of motivations that affect peoples’
livelihoods and seeks social transformation of norms and institutions by working closely withvarious stakeholders in local society. The project on Sumatra’s tropical peatlands identified four
principal kinds of motivations—local livelihood, profit of local farmers and agricultural and industrial
enterprises, local and centrally-based governance, and conservation measures implemented bygovernments, NGOs and international institutions—and examines how they can be best coordinatedto promote sustainability at the village level. Another project on Punjab, India, studies how toprevent stubble burning accompanying the introduction of a compressed double cropping calendar
after the Green Revolution, causing pressure on water and land, as well as air pollution and healthhazards. Meanwhile, the ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction project investigates the potentialof various ecosystem services to address natural disaster risks in Japan, where population decline
creates additional dimensions to this issue, which is or could become relevant in many other Asian
countries.

10‘Hyakken-tsutsumi’, located at Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. An approximately 180m-long stone-built prevention wall, which was constructed in the Tokugawa period, taking five years and eight months.

International Workshop on Resource Nexus and Asia’s Great Transformation, 11th March 2019

Program Director

SUGIHARA Kaoru RIHN

Trained in Japan (Doctorate at the University of Tokyo), I have held positions at the Faculty of Economics of Osaka
City University, the History Department of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, theGraduate School of Economics of Osaka University, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, theGraduate School of Economics of the University of Tokyo, and the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies(Japan). My research concerns the history of intra-Asian trade and labor-intensive industrialization in the lasttwo centuries. I am currently working on the economic and environmental history of Monsoon Asia in long-term
perspective. I also act as Vice-Chair of the Future Earth Committee of the Science Council of Japan.

Researchers
MASUHARA Naoki

Senior Researcher

YAMAMOTO Aya

Research Associate

IWASAKI Yumiko

Research Associate

11Tropical Peatland Society Project

Toward the Regeneration of Tropical Peatland Societies:
Building International Research Network on Paludiculture andSustainable Peatland Management
Project Leader

KOZAN Osamu RIHN/Kyoto University

Progra m 1

Osamu Kozan has conducted hydro-meteorological observation and hydrological modelling in Asia. Based on field observation data,
he developed hydrological land surface models considering actual water management in the Huai River basin in China and the Aral Sea
Basin in Central Asia and developed a forecasting model of snowmelt-flood in Lake Biwa basin. He has been promoting an integrated
natural and social science study on peatland society in Riau province and conducting action research on peatland rehabilitation since2008. He is continuing research on the effects of peatland fires and the accompanying air pollution on the local community.

Necessity of the study

solutions to the current crisis of peat degradation andrelated fire and haze in tropical regions through action
research. The project seeks to identify and implement
alternative practices in collaboration with local people,
academics, governmental offices and officials, NGOs, andinternational organizations.
The project conducts multidisciplinary research in orderto clarify the entire process of peatland degradation. We
are especially focusing on the three topics: A) History ofdevelopment, B) Peat environment, and C) Climate change.
Each topic sheds light on the cyclical series of socialand environmental phenomena related to the processof peatland degradation. We study vulnerability andtransformability of each topic in order to bring innovative
peatland restoration activities to tropical peatland societies.

Peat swamp forests are found throughout Southeast Asia,
especially Indonesia, and contain massive stores of carbon
and water. Over the last two decades, these swamps havebeen intensively exploited in order to create commercial
acacia and oil palm plantations. As these tree species
cannot grow in swamps, peatlands have been drained,creating extensive areas of dried peatlands that are
extremely vulnerable to fire.
In 2015, peatland fires burned 2.1 million hectares offorest in Indonesia, affecting 45 million people. A half
million people suffered from upper respiratory tract
infections, and thousands of people, especially children,were afflicted with asthma. The government responded tothis disaster by mobilizing the army, punishing people who
set fires, and refusing to issue new peatland development
permits. These measures were urgently needed, but
provided only short-term relief. The public has demanded
longer-term and more sustainable measures, such as
rewetting and reforestation of peatlands, activities also
promoted by this project since 2012.
The government of Indonesia established the Peatland
Restoration Agency in January 2016, and declared that two
million hectares of degraded peatlands would be restored
by 2019. The objective of this research project is to generate

Research methods and objectives
Peatland ecosystems are vulnerable. We explore theirvulnerability with scientific methods, analyzing thesocio-economic history of peatland societies, monitoring
greenhouse-gas emissions in various types of peatlands,
and tracking historical change in the amount of rainfall andsignificance of haze. Damage from human disturbance is
not completely reversible, however, and it is also necessary
to consider sustainable development of the local economy.

Total burnt area in Indonesia in 2019. Source: Ministry of Environment and Forestry website (SiPongi–KLHK). Data retrieved on 7 January 2020.

12https://www.chikyu.ac.jp/peatlands/eng/

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Weather radar installation (Bengkalis District, 12 February 2020)

Questionnaire survey on peatland use and awareness in Lantau Baru village(Pelalawan District, 18 November 2019)

In order to address this dilemma, we also use transdisciplinary approaches to explore the transformabilityof peatland societies. We promote village participationin peatland restoration activities and suggest effective
policies to administrators, arrange effective applications of
paludiculture and social forestry, and use weather radar to
identify potential fire outbreaks.
This research thus supports the future potential ofpeatland-based societies, the phasing out of monoculture
production activity, the development of paludiculture, andthe enlargement of protected peatland areas.

Achievements to date
Project researchers introduced the practice of rewetting
and reforestation in peatland areas in Bengkalis District,
Riau Province in 2010. This experimental site has attracted
significant attention especially since 2015, when fireand haze became very serious. Along with project-led
international seminars, the site has significantly enhanced
public awareness of the potential for rewetting andforestation to regenerate peatland.
We signed Memoranda of Understanding with thePeatland Restoration Agency of Indonesia and Riau
University to conduct action research to restore degradedpeatland. Our project has created action plans based onthese MOUs and has accordingly begun to implement a
restoration program, in which we started social forestry
programs designed to strengthen the land rights of people
on degraded state lands.
In addition, as a result of the continuous monitoring ofgreen-house-gas emissions from peatlands, the influence

Researchers at RIHNYAMANAKA Manabu
KAJITA Ryosuke
OSAWA Takamasa
Main Members
MIZUNO Kosuke
OKAMOTO Masaaki
ITOH Masayuki
SHIMAMURA Tetsuya
NAITO Daisuke

Senior Researcher/Kobe University/JAMSTEC
Researcher

Cooperation in shooting for NKH TV program “Magafire” at the Giam Siak KecilBukit Batu Bioreserve (Bengkalis District, 14 October 2019)of haze on atmosphere, and seasonal changes of local
rainfall, we are clarifying the influences on and processes ofpeatland degradation.

Publications
Catastrophe and Regeneration in Indonesia’s Peatlands:
Ecology, Economy and Society was published by the
National University of Singapore Press in 2016. This
volume provides inter-disciplinary field-based andhistorical analyses of peatland degradation throughexamination of the survival motives of local people, theprofit motives of companies, and the conservation motivesof Government and NGOs. The book showcases thepotential solution of rewetting and reforesting “the people’s
forest”. The book has been reviewed in various media,
including leading international academic journals. Our
project will continue to build on this research in order todevelop new insights on tropical peatland management.

SHIODERA Satomi
KATSURA Tomomi

Researcher/Kyoto University

KAWASAKI Masahiro
SATO Yuri
GUNAWAN, Haris
SABIHAM, Supiandi
DHENY, Trie Wahyu Sampurno

RIHN

Research Associate

Researcher/Kyoto University

University of Indonesia
Kyoto University
University of Hyogo
Ehime University
Kyoto University

Institute of Developing Economies, JETRO
Peatland Restoration Agency, Indonesia
Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia
Indonesian Agency of Geospatial Information, Indonesia

13

Eco-DRR Project

Research and Social Implementation of Ecosystembased Disaster Risk Reduction as Climate Change
Adaptation in Shrinking Societies
Project Leader

YOSHIDA Takehito RIHN/The University of Tokyo

Progra m 1

Takehito Yoshida is an ecologist and limnologist who studies diversity and complexity of organisms and ecosystems from theviewpoints of adaptation and system dynamics, and explores human-nature interactions and sustainability in local communities inJapan. Trained in Kyoto University (PhD) and Cornell University (postdoc), he was a member of the faculty at the University of Tokyo at
Komaba before assuming joint appointments at RIHN and the University of Tokyo

Outline of the project
Globally, the rate of natural disaster occurrence has been
increasing, partly due to contemporary climate change,
and adaptation to natural disaster risks is increasingly
important to the sustainability of human societies. At thesame time, many societies are experiencing shrinking
populations. Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction(Eco-DRR) takes advantage of the multi-functionalityof ecosystems and biodiversity, including their capacity
to mitigate natural disasters while providing multiple
ecosystem services, and population decline provides ample
opportunity for implementing Eco-DRR. Our projectwill develop practical solutions for implementation of
Eco-DRR by visualizing natural disaster risks, evaluating
multi-functionality of Eco-DRR solutions, conducting
transdisciplinary scenario analysis, examining traditional
and local knowledge of disaster risk reduction, andcollaborating with the insurance industry and othersectors.

Background and goals
Climate change impacts natural and human systems, andis projected to intensify in the future. Our project focuses
on reducing risk and developing management strategies
related to natural disasters. The risk of natural disasters

results from the interaction between a climate-related
hazard, and the exposure and vulnerability of humanactivities (Fig. 1), so that adaptation to natural disaster risk
can be realized by reducing exposure (e.g. by improving
land use) and vulnerability to hazards.
Hard-engineering natural disaster countermeasures havetarget safety levels, below which natural disasters can beprevented. Although these countermeasures are effective if
the hazard level of natural disaster is below the target safetylevel, societies increasingly face situations in which hazard
levels exceed safety levels, resulting in devastating
natural disasters. Eco-DRR approaches focus on lowering
the exposure of human activities to natural hazards, so
reducing, if not preventing, associated losses and damages.
Eco-DRR approaches, meanwhile, take advantage of themulti-functionality of ecosystems, so complementing
conventional approaches to natural disaster management,
although the effectiveness and multi-functionality of EcoDRR is not yet clearly and quantitatively understood.
Japan’s population is aging and shrinking, leading to theabandonment of farmlands, houses and decreases inother intensive land uses, a challenging circumstance thatnevertheless provides an opportunity for improving landuse. The population of Japan increased substantially overthe last century, increasing the risk of and public exposure
to natural disasters. Evaluating past natural disaster risks

Hazard × Exposure × Vulnerability = Risk of natural disaster(e.g. river flood) (e.g. land use) (e.g. building structure)

Eco‐DRR
land useRiver

Floodplain
WetlandPark & Garden
Agriculture

Residence
Business
SchoolHospital

Hazard HighLow

Exposure/
Low
Vulnerability

High

Risk Low

Low

Figure 1 Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction not only lowers disaster risks but also enhances benefitsof ecosystem services by reducing the exposure of human activities in high-hazard locations andsupporting human activities in low-hazard locations.

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therefore provides valuable information of adaptation
strategies considered in Japan as well as in other countries.
Given this background, the ECO-DRR project sets two
main goals: first, it develops methodologies to evaluate
Eco-DRR multi-functionality and assess Eco-DRR
by comparing multi-functionality in the past, present
and future. Secondly, the project supports Eco-DRR
implementation through transdisciplinary collaborations
with local communities, governments, insurance industry
and other stakeholders.

Research objectives
Three research components contribute to achieve theabove two goals.
(1) V isualizing risks of natural disasters in present andpast
The exposure and vulnerability associated withdifferent natural disasters will be analyzed, and the risks
evaluated and visualized as risk maps of the present andpast. Modeling risk for the different exposure scenarios
will contribute to future Eco-DRR assessments andplans.
(2) E valuating and modeling multi-functionality of
Eco-DRR
Provisioning, regulating and cultural ecosystemservices will be evaluated, and their spatial distribution
will be modeled in relation to population and landuse. The model will be used to evaluate the ecosystemservices for different land use scenarios.
(3) T ransdisciplinary approaches for implementing EcoDRR in society
Together with local stakeholders, transdisciplinary
platforms will be formed at each of the local researchsites by taking advantage of existing platforms.
This transdisciplinary platform will deepen mutual
understanding, promote discussion of future options,and build consensus regarding the use of Eco-DRR.
Multi-functionality of Eco-DRR at each local site will
be evaluated and research outcomes will be shared with

Photo 1 Mikatagoko area in Fukui Prefecture, one of the research sites.

Sub Leader
AIBA Masahiro
Researchers at RIHN
HUANG, Wanhui
ITO Takafumi
NAKAI Minami
Main Members
AKIYAMA Yuki
FUKAMACHI Katsue
FURUTA Naoya
HASHIMOTO Shizuka
ICHINOSE Tomohiro
MIYOSHI Iwao
NISHIDA Takaaki

local stakeholders using our transdisciplinary platform.
In addition, traditional and local knowledge of Eco-DRR
will be inventoried and evaluated for the multifunctionality so that the benefits of the traditional andlocal knowledge can be shared with the general public.
In collaboration with insurance industry, a researchforum will be formed to discuss the possibility andfeasibility of insurance industry contributions toeconomic incentives of Eco-DRR. Various laws andinstitutions in national and local governments related todisaster risk reduction and land use will be assessed in
the research forum as well.

Recent results
At several local research sites, the traditional and local
knowledge of Eco-DRR,
including the history of land
use management, flood andlandslide control measuresbuilt during the Edo period,
management of shelter woods
around houses, etc. have beencollected. This traditional andlocal knowledge of Eco-DRR
will be made accessible to thegeneral public by publishing aseries of booklets
in Japanese. The
first of the series
was publishedin the summerof 2019 inprint as well as
e-book which isfreely available
at the RIHN
Figure 2 The first book of the series “Traditional
website, and an
and local knowledge of Eco-DRR in Japan”,
English version isavailable for free from the RIHN website(in Japanese).
forthcoming.

Photo 2 Hira mountains and their base area in Shiga Prefecture, one of theresearch sites. Photo courtesy of MATSUI Kimiaki.

Specially Appointed Assistant Professor

Researcher
Research Associate

SENDA Masako
SHIMAUCHI Risa

Research Associate
Research Associate

Research AssociateTokyo City University
Kyoto University
Taisho University / IUCNThe University of Tokyo
Keio University
Kyoto Prefectural University
Kyoto Sangyo University

NISHIHIRO Jun
SAITO Osamu
SHIBASAKI Ryosuke
SHOUJI Tarou
TAKI Kentaro
UEHARA Misato
URASHIMA Hiroko

National Institute for Environmental Studies
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
The University of Tokyo
Pacific Consultants Co., Ltd.
The University of Shiga Prefecture
Shinshu University
MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc.

15

Aakash Project

An Interdisciplinary Study toward Clean Air,
Public Health and Sustainable Agriculture:
The Case of Crop Residue Burning in North India
Project Leader

HAYASHIDA Sachiko RIHN/Nara Women’s University

Progra m 1

Dr. Sachiko Hayashida is an atmospheric scientist who has long history of research on stratospheric ozone depletion, air pollution andgreenhouse gases. She received the Horiuchi Award from the Japan Meteorological Society in 2002. From 2005-2008 she was a memberof the Science Steering Group of the Stratospheric Processes And their Role in Climate (SPARC) within the World Climate Research
Programme (WCRP). From 2010-2018 she was a committee member of the International Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry
and Global Pollution (iCACGP), a special commission within the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences(IAMAS). She is currently a president of the Remote Sensing Society Japan (RSSJ).

ProblemThis study addresses air pollution caused by large-scale
post-harvest burning of rice-straw in October andNovember in the states of Punjab and Haryana in NorthWest India. The burning causes severe air pollution in thesurrounding areas, most notably in the Delhi-National
Capital Region. Some evidence suggests that crop-residue
burning negatively affects air quality over the entire IndoGangetic Plain (IGP), demonstrating the potential negative
impact of changing agricultural practices on regional air
quality, affecting public health and well-being of hundredsof millions of people.

Background
Historically the Indian Punjab region, a semi-arid zone
with insufficient precipitation, was not suitable forintensive cultivation. Traditional agriculture in the region
consisted of a combination of cultivating wheat and raising
livestock (cattle). Development of irrigation canals during
the British colonial period transformed the region intoa granary. In the 1960s, the area became the seat of theso-called “Green Revolution”, and played a central rolein producing food for the populous nation. In the 1970s,
most of the region adopted a double-cropping systemof wheat and rice. However, this cultivation practicerequired farmers to sow wheat seeds immediately after
the rice harvest. While traditional hand-harvest allowed
cropping of rice stalks near ground-level, increasing useof combine harvesters leaves large quantities of stubble infield. Farmers are forced to quickly burn this crop residue(stubble and stalk) in order to prepare for wheat seeding inthe short period between late October and early November.

Winds in this season shift to the northwest, often blowing
smoke from stubble burning to Delhi-NCR, markedly
affecting air quality in Delhi. Actually, however, the cause
and effect relationship between stubble burning in the
Punjab region and worsening air pollution in Delhi has not
yet been established quantitatively. This lack of definitive
quantitative evaluation is due to the poor state of the air
pollution monitoring network in India compared to thosein developed nations. Unfortunately, many farmers of the
Punjab region are reluctant to acknowledge their own
actions as the cause of air pollution in Delhi, and there isalso some disagreement among academic researchers as
well.

Project Structure & Research Plan
This project will utilize observation data and model
simulations in order to provide a scientific examinationof the connection between stubble burning in Punjab
and severe air pollution in Delhi. Based on this scientificunderstanding, we will pursue a pathway of socialtransformation toward clean air, public health andsustainable agriculture. We will organize three working
groups to approach stakeholders; all working groups will
examine various measures to raise awareness regarding
farmer/community behavior, and as well as that ofstakeholders and government (Figure 1).
Working Group 1: Agro-Economics, Human Geography,
Cultural Anthropology, and Agricultural
Science
Working Group 1 will examine incentives promoting
farmers’ behavioral changes and various alternative uses

Figure 1 Structure of the project16
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of straw. In the first year of the project, we will conduct asurvey across the entire state of Punjab based on voter lists.
The results of the survey will allow to conduct intensive
interviews assessing the traditional cultural backgroundof farming, labor availability and impact of subsidies
on farmer and community decision making. In parallel,
we will examine both technical and socioeconomic
advantages/disadvantages for straw management. We will
examine several options for use of straw and suggest how
they may lead to new agricultural practices, products andmarkets.
Working Group 2: Atmospheric Science and Remote
Sensing
The mission of Working Group 2 is to utilize observations
and model simulations in order to quantify the effects of
stubble burning in Punjab on air quality of Delhi-NCR.
As monitoring data are sparse in Punjab, we will set up

a network of several hundred compact instruments tomonitor ambient PM2.5 and prepare refined estimate
of inventory emissions from stubble burning. Thisdata, combined with satellite measurements covering
wider part of the IGP, will allow model simulations forextended analysis. In the later years of the project, PM2.5
distribution will be transmitted on smartphones via newly
developed apps.
Working Group 3: Epidemiology and Public HealthWorking Group 3 will conduct a health education class on“Air and Health” to increase awareness of local residents’
health. In parallel, members will examine children andwomen’s symptoms and test their pulmonary function.
The advantage of our research plan is that we can estimate
individual PM2.5 exposure using compact PM2.5
monitoring instruments. Figure 2 is an example of PM2.5
exposure taken in Punjab on Nov. 2, 2018.

Figure 2 Time series of PM2.5 values that were exposed to the project PI when visiting Punjab on November 2, 2018. The sudden increase of PM2.5 at 14:00 iscorresponding to her encounter with a straw burning shown in the figure. Note that the WHO guideline of 24-hours average criterion is 25 μg/m3.

Sub Leader
SUDO Shigeto

Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, The National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

Researchers at RIHNMISRA, Prakhar
ARAKI Hikaru

Research Associate

Main Members
ASADA Haruhisa
PATRA, Prabir
UEDA KayoResearcher

Nara Women’s University
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
Kyoto University

17

Research Program 2

Fair Use and Management ofDiverse Resources
Global environmental problems are inter-related. Studies concentrating on single issues are
therefore often not effective and consideration of the links between multiple resources involving
stakeholders is essential. Recently, the nexus structure linking energy, water and food production
has become a prominent area of study, but truly sustainable societies require more comprehensive
understandings of the ecological resources that provide ecosystem services and cultural resources.
The production, circulation and consumption of resources should be discussed in relation to arange of spatial scales, and stakeholders should be involved in these discussions. Sustainable use ofresources requires fair and wise management systems as well as indices capable of managing theseprocesses.
Many existing socio-economic or human behavioral systems must be converted or transformed
into new systems capable of addressing the special qualities of renewable natural resources, as thesequalities have sometimes been externalized from conventional economics. Asia is experiencing
rapid change in economy, urbanization and population, though traditional techniques for sustainable
resource management, associated with the relatively rich human sphere and cultural backgroundin this region also survive. Study of this long-standing Asian experience of resource use may offer
important observations about sustainability in general.
RIHN research projects have accumulated information and suggestions necessary to thistransformation in resource management, though gaps remain. Program Two therefore explores wiseand fair management systems capable of addressing multiple resource-uses by multiple stakeholders,in multi-spatial scales. We encourage new project proposals including those by innovative young
scientists addressing such novel and under-examined subjects. Program research should also address
the social conditions that support transformation of values and human behavior, as they should also
inform new indices and institutions for fair resource management.
In 2019, we enlarged our database of resource supply and demand in Japan to the municipality
level, with particular emphasis on ecosystem services. The database could be utilized to assist
comparative and integrative analyses of research sites. One initial analysis of this database indicatedthat prefectural sustainability is related to population density. It is also useful to consider the interlinkages among the resource use sustainability, which could be developed to address SDG targets.

18
Traditional agricultural landscape in Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, Japan

Land-use pattern in mountain area in Thailand

Water flow in upstream of Iwaki River, Japan

Solar power generation in Chiba Prefecture, Japan

Environmental water
Run-off water

Water

Ecosystem services
Provisioning
services

EnergyFood
Cultural
service

Carbon sequestration

BiofuelRegulating
service

Nexus structure among water, energy, food, and ecosystem services

Acting Program Director

Hein MALLEE RIHN

Hein MALLEE is a social scientist with a Ph.D. from Leiden University, the Netherlands. His work was initiallyconcerned with migration and related policies in China, but as he started working in international development, hebecame involved in projects on rural development, natural resources management and poverty alleviation both inChina and in Southeast Asia. The dominant theme in this was local people’s involvement in and rights to resources.
He has been a Professor at RIHN since March 2013 and a Deputy Director- General since April 2018. He is also the
Director of the Regional Center for Future Earth in Asia.
Researchers
KOBAYASHI Kunihiko

Researcher

KARATSU Fukiko

Research Associate

19Supply Chain Project

Mapping the Environmental Impact Footprint ofCities, Companies, and Households
Project Leader

KANEMOTO Keiichiro RIHN

Progra m 2

I was a Lecturer of Institute of Decision Science for a Sustainable Society at Kyushu University and Faculty of Economics and Law at
Shinshu University. From 2009-2011, I was a Visiting Research Fellow at Integrated Sustainability Analysis, the University of Sydney. I
received my Ph.D. in 2014 from Tohoku University. My main research interests are in Industrial Ecology, Environmental Economics, InputOutput Economics (multi-region, environment), and Networks. I developed Eora multi-region input-output database with Manfred
Lenzen, Daniel Moran, and Arne Geschke. I am a member of the editorial board of Journal of Economic Structures. In 2018 and 2019, I
was named a Highly Cited Researcher in the field of Cross-Field by Clarivate Analytics.

A recent study in Nature showed that up to a thirdof biodiversity loss is driven by trade, and a body ofother studies have identified the same pattern for GHG
emissions, air pollution, and other environmental ills.
Many environmental impacts worldwide are ultimately
driven by consumption in developed countries.
Considerations of remote responsibility, ecologicalfootprint, and scope 3 emissions are now a standard part ofthe environmental policy discussion at many levels, fromthe UNFCC to individual businesses and households.
Providing better information to buyers anddecisionmakers can be a powerful way to reduce
environmental pressures worldwide. The life-cycle analysis(LCA) and supply chain analysis tools (multi-regional
input-output (MRIO) models) used to analyze theseremote effects in detail have benefited from significant
advances in the past years, with improving models and,more recently, the link of economic models to spatial (GIS)
maps that locate more precisely how global supply chainslink to particular emissions and biodiversity hotspots.
However, while existing work sketches out the broad
picture, it still falls short of being detailed enough to
help with many specific decisions. Existing supply chain
analyses operate at the resolution of countries andbroad economic sectors. In practice decision-makers atthese levels often only have limited effective economic
and judicial power. Many individuals, businesses, andlocal governments are seeking to reduce their total
environmental footprint, but existing models are either toocoarse resolution to be truly useful or require expensive
and time-consuming modifications to be useful for
informing specific decisions.
Unlike most studies, which focus on environmental
emissions and international trade, this is the first study toclarify the effect of global supply chains on environmental
impacts. Further, in addition to countries and regions,
we will estimate the environmental footprint of cities,
companies, and households. The proposed project would
be a major contribution and can be expected to be of highinterest to businesses, policymakers, NGOs, sustainability
consultants, and researchers around the world. The project
team has deep experience in supply chain analysis andenvironmental impact assessment.

Carbon footprint of cities

Key findings are the following:• Globally, carbon footprints are highly concentrated
in a small number of dense, high-income cities andaffluent suburbs• 100 cities drive 18% of global emissions• In most countries (98 of 187 assessed), the top threeurban areas are responsible for more than one-quarterof national emissions• We define cities as population clusters, but in practice
mapping footprints to local jurisdictional bounds iscomplex• 41 of the top 200 carbon-intensive cities are incountries where total and per capita emissions are low(e.g. Dhaka, Cairo, Lima). In these cities, population
and affluence combine to drive footprints at a similar
scale as the highest income cities• For large and high-income cities, their total Scope
3 footprint is much larger than the city’s directemissions• Radical decarbonization measures (limiting
nonelectric vehicles; requiring 100% renewableelectricity) can induce substantial emissions
reductions beyond city boundaries. In wealthy,
high-consumption, high-footprint localities suchmeasures may require only a small investment relative
to median income, yet accomplish large reductions in
total footprint emissions• Local action at the city and state level canmeaningfully affect national and global emissions

Carbon footprint of households:
The case of food diet
We identified five key results. First, differences inhousehold demographics (age and sex) do not explain
variation in household food CF. Second, regional
differences in food-related CF exist, but these are not themain explanatory factor of household differences. Third,
household income and savings are weakly correlated withfood-related CF. Fourth, there is 1.9 times higher in food
CF between the mean household in the lowest and highest
quartile. Finally, meat consumption is almost identicalacross the four quartiles, and it is rather consumption offish, vegetables, confectionary, alcohol, and restaurants thatdifferentiates high and low CF households.

In 2018, we estimated the carbon footprint of 13,000 cities.

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A map shows species-threat hot spots linked to consumption in Japan.

The carbon footprint of Asian cities.

Researchers at RIHNNGUYEN, Tien Hoang
FRY, Jacob Redman
TAHERZADEH, Oliver Ahrash
FARABI-ASL, Hadi
Main Members
NANSAI Keisuke
CHATANI Satoru
NAKAOKA Masahiro
MATSUBAE Kazuyo
OHNO Hajime
MURAKAMI Shinsuke
SUGIHARA Soh
OKUOKA Keijiro
KAGAWA Shigemi
FUJII Hidemichi
SHIGETOMI Yosuke
ITSUBO Norihiro

Senior Researcher
Senior Researcher
Senior Researcher
Researcher

National Institute for Environmental Studies
National Institute for Environmental Studies
Hokkaido University
Tohoku University
Tohoku University
The University of Tokyo
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Gifu University
Kyushu University
Kyushu University
Nagasaki University
Tokyo City University

LEE, Jemyung
YAMADA Taiki
KATAFUCHI Yuya
TAKATA Shoko
KONDO Yasushi
ASAYAMA Shinichiro
YAMAMOTO Yuki
OITA Azusa
SUH, Sangwon
ODA Tomohiro
HERTWICH, Edgar
MORAN, Daniel
LENZEN, Manfred
VERONES, Francesca
GESCHKE, Arne

Researcher
Researcher
Researcher
Research Associate

Waseda University
Waseda University
Nagasaki University
The National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
University of California, Santa Barbara
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
The University of Sydney
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
The University of Sydney21Research Program 3

Designing Lifeworlds of Sustainability
and Wellbeing
More than 60% of the world’s population resides in Asia and over a third of global economic
activity occurs there. Asia is comprised of an incredible diversity of cultures, histories, societies,
economies, livelihoods, and ecologies. Asia is also affected by myriad global and local
environmental issues, such as population increase, air, water, soil, and coastal pollution, increasing
greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity loss. The region is also affected by growing wealthdisparity, social isolation, rising levels of poverty, and the disappearance of traditional cultures andknowledge. The combination of migration between the countryside and cities, rural depopulation,and urban concentration is accompanied by rapid socio-cultural change, over-exploitationof resources, and deterioration of natural environments. Both urban and rural lifeworlds are
disintegrating rapidly.
As a consequence, in reconstructing the lifeworld concept and highlighting the reciprocal
linkages between rural and urban spaces, Program 3 designs lifeworlds of sustainability andwellbeing and co-creates concrete pathways for their realization. Program research is based on thediverse world-views and accumulation of experience of human-nature co-existence. These latentsocio-cultural elements, such as livelihood styles, lay knowledge, conflict resolution strategies, andthe vitality of the people themselves, can be called upon to address contemporary problems andto help chart a course toward possible future societies. Program 3 builds upon these experiences
and knowledges of human-nature interaction to propose concrete changes needed to achieve asustainable society.
The transformations and frameworks leading to sustainable urban and rural lifeworld design will
also entail fundamental shifts in existing economic systems, markets, and political decision-making
systems. Rather than investigating top-down approaches to system change, Program 3 will work withlocal residents, government officials, companies, citizen groups and other stakeholders to propose
sustainable alternatives and gauge their feasibility. In order to avoid the risk of developing proposals
that are only applicable to specific regions or sites, Program 3 will aim for research results that are
generalizable while also retain the diversity at the heart of local lifeworlds and wellbeing.
How we engage with our stakeholders is very important in promoting transdisciplinary research.
It seems that there are many abstract principles, but when applying them to the field, it is difficult
to connect them to a concrete way of doing things. For this reason, we have started the "How toEngage Citizens in Practice Discussion” Meeting with people who have relations with stakeholders.
This discussion has allowed us to slowly see the "rules" of concrete practices. One of the goals of
our practice is to shift the way citizens think about and live towards sustainability, and we are slowly
learning how to design such systems. At the same time, we are conducting an ecological footprintproject to measure energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in our research buildings andtravel.

22
The diversity of fruits and vegetables for sale at the market in Kanchanaburi reflect Thailand’s changing societyAn activities of transdisciplinary community of practice in Hayahaya village of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia

Action research in Zambia: The Vice-President of Zambia has visited the Sanitation project's booth of the Zambia Water Forum and Exhibition (ZAWAFE) 2018.
(Photo by NYMBE, Sikopo P.)

Program Director SAIJO Tatsuyoshi RIHN
Tatsuyoshi Saijo specializes in designing social systems that promote sustainability and equity without inhibiting
individual incentive. His interest is in developing the field of “Future Design”, one that links the happiness andwellbeing of current generation to that of future generations.

Researchers
SHAHIRIER, Shibly

Researcher

23

FEAST Project

Lifeworlds of Sustainable Food Consumption
and Production: Agrifood Systems in Transition
Project Leader

Steven R. McGREEVY RIHN

Steven R. McGreevy is an environmental sociologist (Kyoto University Ph.D. 2012) and associate professor at RIHN. He has a backgroundin agriculture, rural sustainable development, and environmental education. His research focuses on novel approaches to rural

Progra m 3

revitalization that utilize local natural resources, sustainable knowledge dynamics, sustainable agrifood and energy transition, and therelinking of patterns of food consumption and production in local communities

Research Backgroundreorients consumers to consider themselves as citizens andco-producers of the foodscapes on which they depend.
Finally, FEAST seeks knowledge and mechanisms thatcan redefine the notion of long-term food security at theregional scale.
FEAST Working Groups will produce four types ofknowledge relevant to catalyzing agrifood transitions(Figure 1). These are: 1) contextual knowledge ofcontemporary national, regional, and local food systems(production, distribution, and consumption); 2)
co-produced visions of alternative food consumption
and production practices and corresponding municipal
level transition plans identifying research, education,and policy needs; 3) modeling- and scenario-basedknowledge supporting deliberation and planning
processes; and 4) and knowledge related to intervention
strategies— such as niche incubation, social learning andmarket transparency— on the execution and effectivenessof workshop-based consensus building toward collective
action and market-oriented information- providing tools(eco-labels, food LCA smartphone app)

Agrifood systems in Asia face a myriad of sustainability
challenges related to declining environmental health,loss of food diversity, and the deterioration of small-scale
farming. On the consumption side, over-reliance on
globalized food flows limits consumer agency, decreases
food security, and impacts health. How do we respondto these challenges? Rather than furthering efforts tomaintain existing food systems, FEAST research is linewith complete food system transformation, and aims
for re-imagining and re-creating regional, small-scale
food systems designed for a post-growth world and food
lifeworlds that re-value food as a commons.

Research Overview and Objectives
The FEAST project takes a transdisciplinary approach
to explicate the reality of, and potential for, sustainableagrifood transition in Asia. Individual field sites arelocated in Japan, Thailand, Bhutan, and China. Taking
a lifeworld perspective, we analyze patterns of foodconsumption, the socio-cultural significance of foodpractices, and the potential of consumer-based agency
to change deeply held cultural notions and regional foodsystems. We also develop structural descriptions of thefood system, by mapping national, regional, and local
production, distribution, and consumption contexts. In
combining socio-cultural and structural descriptions of therelationships between production and consumption, weare able to conduct visioning workshops with stakeholders
and initiate food citizenship-oriented experiments andactions. In engaging the public in structured debate ofsocietal relationships with food and nature, our project

Progress to Date
Over the past year, FEAST has made progress on several
areas of research.
FEAST partnered with WWF Japan and the Global
Footprint Network to feature research on prefecturaland municipal level Ecological Footprints in Japan—aninformational booklet aimed at municipal officers showsthat urban cities and prefectures have a much larger
footprint than their rural counterparts. Imported animal
feed and ingredients for processed foods comprised

Comparison of regional ecological footprint
for food consumption (Japan)
Othercereals
Fish
Meat

global hectare / capita

1.

Imported food & feedvegetables, fruit, nuts
Dairy

0.75

0.5

https://www.feastproject.org/en/

Kyoto

Hokkaido

Akita

NaganoTokyo

Okinawa

Small cities

Towns/villages

Tokyo-ku

Middle cities

Major cities

Figure 2 WWF Japan and Global Footprint Network booklet
https://www.wwf.or.jp/activities/data/20190726sustinable01.pdf(left). Comparison of regional ecological footprints for foodconsumption in Japan. Imported food and animal feed is mostimpactful, while regional differences in overall impact are evident(right).

Figure 1 Diagram detailing how each FEAST working group is organizedaround the question of “What knowledge is necessary to catalyze
sustainable agrifood transition?” Four kinds of knowledge arelisted: 1) Current system and contextual knowledge; 2) Visions ofsustainable future systems knowledge; 3) Future system scenario
knowledge; and 4) Knowledge associated with intervention andtransition strategies.

24

Japan

0.

All cities

0.25

FS①

FS②

PR

FR①

FR②

FR③

FR④

FR⑤
2020

a significant portion of the overall impact, further
strengthening the need for region-based production andmunicipal level interventions and policies that address
food system sustainability (Figure 2).
Expanding sustainable food production will requirescaling up successful models and new farmers. The
potential for scaling up agroecological production in
Japan was investigated with colleagues from UC-Berkeley
to evaluate how “lighthouse farms” act as models for
territorial development (Photo 1). An assessment tool isbeing developed for wide-spread use.
Over 20 meetings, workshops, and events were heldin Kyoto, Kameoka, and Nagano to catalyze civic food
networking and co-design food policy measures. In Kyoto,
a new food policy council is active through these efforts.
In Nagano, ideal future school lunches were envisioned
in Obuse Town and plans are being made to input resultsfrom the visioning process into the general policy planning
process. The need for culturally-specific approaches to civic
food policy development that center on concepts of social

expectation and “side-to-side” pressure are unique to Japan(Photo 2).
FEAST is also investigating informal food practices(hobby gardening, seed sharing, urban foraging, gathering
edible wild plants, etc.), how they form informal foodsystems and their relationship with well-being andsustainable lifestyles. This work will be featured in a bookscheduled to be released next year (Figure 3).
In Thailand, urban food futures are being exploredthrough envisioning future food practices withstakeholders in Bangkok. Ideal ways of eating out, homecooking, and purchasing food were developed and policyaction plans were created in backcasting workshops (Photo
3).
FEAST maintains research partnerships with theCopernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at
Utrecht University, University of California- Berkeley,
Royal University of Bhutan, Mahidol University, Shanghai
Academy of Agricultural Science, as well as Kameoka andNoshiro Cities (Japan).
Food science & management
recognized

Mainstream
Food Practices

Traditional & Rediscovered
Food Practices

recapturing
wellbeing

New & Evolving
Food Practices

visibleFormal Food System“food as a commodity”

Food Security, Policy & Planning

Cultural Food
Studies

Wellbeing & Sustainability Science

outsourcing

Informal Food System“co-production, conviviality”

unrecognizedinvisible
unknown

New research space

Figure 3 Conceptual framework to investigate the definition and interactionof formal and informal food system and practices represented as an
iceberg.
Photo 1 Fieldwork with Prof. Miguel Altieri and Dr. Clara Nicholls from
UC-Berkeley.

Food Policy
Council Kyoto

School lunch vision

Food practice scenarios
Visioning
phase
2017

Scenariodevelopment
phase 2018

Evaluation andbackcasting workshop
Scenario
evaluation
phase 2019

Transition
phase
2019

Photo 3 Urban food future workshops held in Bangkok, December 2019.
Six future scenarios were evaluated and policy & action plans were
backcasted as a means to initiate transitions.

Visioning workshop “Ideal future school lunch”
Photo 2 Visioning workshops with farmers, consumers, NPO, and government
officials held in Obuse Town, March 2019 (bottom), school lunch visiongraphic recording (upper left), and Food Policy Council Kyoto logo
(upper right).

Sub Leader
TAMURA Norie
Researchers at RIHNOTA Kazuhiko
RUPPRECHT, Christoph D. D.
KOBAYASHI Mai
ODA Kimisato
Main Members
TSUCHIYA Kazuaki
HARA Yuji
AKITSU Motoki
TACHIKAWA Masashi
TANIGUCHI Yoshimitsu

Photo 4 FEAST Project Annual Assembly held at RIHN January 12-13, 2020.

Senior Researcher

Assistant Professor
Senior Researcher
Researcher
Researcher

The University of Tokyo
Wakayama University
Kyoto University
Nagoya University
Akita Prefectural University

SHINKAI Rika
SPIEGELBERG, Maximilian
MATSUOKA Yuko
KOBAYASHI Yuko
NAKAMURA MariTANAKA KeikoSUDO Shigeto
SHIBATA Akira
KISHIMOTO-MO Ayaka

Researcher
Researcher
Research Associate
Research Associate

Nagoya Bunri University
University of Kentucky, USA
National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
Ritsumeikan University
National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

25

Sanitation Project

The Sanitation Value Chain: Designing
Sanitation Systems as Eco-Community-Value
SystemProject Leader

YAMAUCHI Taro RIHN/Hokkaido University

Progra m 3

Prof. Taro Yamauchi is a professor at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University. He has a B.S., a M.S. and a Ph.D. in healthsciences from the University of Tokyo. He does intensive fieldwork in hunter-gatherer society, rural villages, and urban slums indeveloping counties to understand the lifestyle and health of local populations and adaptation to living environments. His researchinterests also include sanitation and participatory action research involving local children, youth and adults. He is Vice-President of theInternational Association of Physiological Anthropology (IAPA) and an executive member of the International Society for the Study of
Human Growth and Clinical Auxology (ISGA).

Sanitation generally refers to the provision of facilities
and services for the safe disposal of human urine and feces.
UN Millennium Development Goals Report 2015
reported that 2.4 billion people are still using unimproved
sanitation facilities, including 946 million people who arestill practicing open defecation. The developing world
still has high under-five mortality and poverty rates. The
world’s population is estimated to reach approximately
10 billion in 2050, and this population growth will
happen mostly in developing countries. At the sametime, depopulation and aging are increasing, especially inthe rural areas of the developed world, and the financial
capability of many local governments—which are key
agents in the management of sanitation systems—is getting
weaker.
Sanitation systems are essential for promoting publichealth, preventing environmental pollution, conserving
ecosystem functions, and recycling resources. The questionof how to handle the waste of 10 billion people is therefore
highly relevant to the global environment.

Working hypotheses of the research
The project investigates the following hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1: Current sanitation problems are caused bya dissociation between the value which is provided by thesanitation system and the values of the individual people
and/or the community of the people.
Hypothesis 2: Sanitation technologies cannot work wellwithout a social and institutional support system. The
mismatch between prerequisites of technologies and local
characteristics additionally complicates sanitation issues.

Key concept — Sanitation Value chain as a solution
The project proposes a new concept, the Sanitation Value
Chain, which has the following dimensions:
1) Places the values of people and community in thecenter of discussion, and prepares the sanitation system tocorrespond to this value chain; 2) Designs the sanitation
system by focusing on direct incentives for individual
users and communities; 3) Recognizes a sanitation
system as an integrated system with social and technicalunits; 4) Designs the sanitation system by making a good
match between social characteristics and prerequisites oftechnologies.

26
https://www.chikyu.ac.jp/sanitation_value_chain/en/

Goals of the project
The goals of this research project are to: 1) Propose theconcept of Sanitation Value Chain in relation to bothdeveloping and developed countries; 2) Design several
pilot studies demonstrating the significance of societal,
academic, and professional involvement in the co-creationof this value chain; and 3) Contribute to the establishmentof a new interdisciplinary academic foundation on
sanitation.

Research topics for achieving the goals
Topic–1 Life: By field survey, we learn about the valuesof people and the norm for human excreta, andreevaluate the sanitation system in relation to theresidents lives.
Topic–2 Technology: We identify prerequisites ofsanitation technologies and reevaluate the valuethat sanitation will give us. In addition, we develop
new sanitization technology to make use of thevalue chain by understanding the values of people
and local conditions.
Topic–3 Co-creation: We identify stakeholders anddescribe the value structures of people andcommunities, and analyze the hierarchy andstructure of stakeholders’ value chain and evaluate
their affinities. We demonstrate the co-creation
process of the sanitation value chain.
Topic–4 Visualization: In order to co-create thevalue chain, it is necessary to make efforts tocommunicate research results to actors andstakeholders. Utilizing resources and institutional
collaborations of RIHN, we will develop a method
to express and transmit outcomes using various
media.

Research sites
The project is performing field studies at four sites: 1)
Rural areas in Ishikari River Basin, Hokkaido; 2) Rural
areas of Burkina Faso; 3) Urban areas in Indonesia; and 4)
Periurban areas in Zambia.

How we think about sanitation
We involved multidisciplinary experts and have createda framework of understanding to capture sanitation
problems as not only material cycling, but as a whole of the
FS①

PR

FR①

FR②

FR③

FR④
2020

FR⑤

value of sanitation in health and wellbeing, materials, andsocio-culture (Figure1). Based on the framework, we will
uncover values embedded in societies and cultures, andco-create the Sanitation Value Chain by cooperating withvarious actors related to the sanitation system. We envisagethat Sanitation Value Chain system will improve the healthand wellbeing within the community.

Achievements in FR studies(1) Toilet for recycling resources. We have developed
functioning toilet technologies necessary for thesanitation value chain by making urine in the urban
area valuable as fertilizer. These are the “Toilet thatcan concentrate urine” and “Toilet that can makephosphorus fertilizer”.
(2) T racking propagation of pathogens. Pathogenic bacteria
propagate through various routes. We have developed
a molecular biological method of tracking thispropagation. In the case of Bangladesh, we found thatthe most important route of pollution is bathing, andthe contamination of drinking cups is more important
than of the water itself (Figure 2).
(3) D etecting the risk factors relating to WASH. We
surveyed the handwashing and health of the elementary
school students in the “slum” area of ​​Bandung,Indonesia. Risk factors of stunting and diarrhea areboy’s behavior, drinking tap water rather than tankwater, using an open storage container of drinking
water, low household income, and not using towels after
hand washing. The risk factors for fecal E.coli attached
to children’s hands are boy’s behavior, inadequate
hand-washing and using soap, and the practice basedon inadequate hygiene knowledge.

The notable achievements (New achievements in
FY2018, special remarks)
1.	We published the third and fourthvolumes of the international
journal Sanitation Value Chain(Figure 3).
2.	In Zambia, we organized twoworkshops with local children
and youth groups to promote
good sanitation and hygiene.
First, group members measured
fecal contamination around their
Figure 3 International
living environments. In creating
academic Journal
visualizations of this invisible
Sanitation Value
Chain, 3(1).
contamination they becameaware of the problem and were able to discuss ways for
its improvement (Photo 1). Second, they took picturesof the places thought to be a problem for community
sanitation. These images were recomposed into videos
that facilitated community communication.
3.	Meta-studies of our project were conducted. We
published a paper describing and analyzing theembarrassment and trial of a cultural anthropologist
who entered our inter-disciplinary project. We
also recorded and analyzed how interdisciplinary
communication is performed at the fusion of humanities
and sciences, such as the discussions of the meetingsof our project. We use these recordings for promotinginterdisciplinary communication in our project.

Figure 1 The concept of three values from the point of Co-creation (figure by
KATAOKA Yoshimi)
15.8%
Drinking water

27.7%

Surface of cup

72.3%

84.2%

Outdoorplay, 5.4%

Hand before wash and eating
Outdoor soil

Others,
4.4%

Drinking,
15.4%

Bathing in
pond, 74.8%

Coverage of total daily exposure amount by
each pathway, %Figure 2 E. coli exposure pathways. Example of measurement in Bangladesh
from Harada et al. (2017) Fecal exposure analysis and E. colipathotyping: a case study of a Bangladeshi slum, International
Symposium on Green Technology for Value Chains 23-24 October,
2017, Balai Kartini, Jakarta.

Sub Leader
FUNAMIZU Naoyuki
Researchers at RIHN
NAKAO Seiji
HAYASHI Koji
SHIRAI Yuko
Main Members
USHIJIMA Ken
IKEMI Mayu
KATAOKA Yoshimi
SANO Daisuke
NABESHIMA Takako
FUJIWARA Taku

Photo 1 Workshop in Zambia: Collecting samples and processing (photo by
KATAOKA Yoshimi)

Muroran Institute of Technology

Specially Appointed Assistant Professor
Researcher

KIMURA Ayako
HONMA Saki

Research Associate
Research Associate

Researcher

Hokkaido Research Organization
Sapporo International University
Hokkaido University
Tohoku University
Hokkaido University
Kochi University

HARADA Hidenori
INOUE Takashi
SHIMIZU Takao
SINTAWARDANI, Neni
NYAMBE, Imasiku Anayawa
LOPEZ ZAVALA, Miguel Angel

Kyoto University
Hokkaido University
Kyoto Seika University
Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Indonesia
University of Zambia, Zambia
Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico

27

SRIREP Project

Co-creation of Sustainable Regional Innovation
for Reducing Risk of High-impact Environmental
Pollution
Project Leader

SAKAKIBARA Masayuki RIHN/Ehime University

Progra m 3

Professor Masayuki Sakakibara is an earth scientist with multidisciplinary backgrounds of Geology, Petrology, Astrobiology,
Geochemistry, Medical Geology, Geoengineering, and Remediation Engineering. He currently works at the Faculty of Collaborative
Regional Innovation and Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University. His interest in environmental pollution led
him to intensive fieldwork and activities to reduce mercury pollution and poverty problems in artisanal and small-scale gold mining(ASGM) areas in Indonesia for over eight years, work conducted with students, scientists, researchers, and various stakeholders fromIndonesia, ASEAN countries, and Japan. Professor Sakakibara is also responsible for international conferences and seminars such
as Transdisciplinary Research on Environmental Problems in Southeast Asia (TREPSEA) and Transdisciplinary Research and Practicefor Reducing Environmental Problems (TRPNEP), which focus on transdisciplinary approaches to research and practice, as well as
development of various regional innovations for the reduction of environmental pollutions in ASEAN countries.

Research Background
Mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal that seriously threatens
human embryonic and early-childhood development, andis extremely toxic to the human body. Mercury pollution
is a serious environmental issue requiring global action.
Recent investigation by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) has highlighted the enormity of
Hg pollution in developing countries and the associatedharmful effects on human health and ecosystems. One of
the main causes of Hg pollution is ASGM, in which Hg isused as the traditional method of amalgamation to extract
gold from the ore rock. This activity is responsible for 37%
of global anthropogenic Hg environmental emissions. Thismethod of amalgamation is quicker, simpler, and morecost effective than alternative methods, and is widely usedin many ASGM communities. According to data from theUNEP, ASGM produces 15-20 % of the global gold market.
Almost 15 million people, including about 4-5 million
women and children, participate in ASGM activities inmore than 70 countries. The Hg pollution generated during
ASGM indirectly affects more than 100 million people
worldwide. ASGM activities are also sources of social
problems, such as land tenure issues, social instability suchas migration, and conflict between residents. The vicious
cycle related to poverty and environmental degradationin developing countries is well known. Even though the
Minamata Convention was established to protect humanhealth and the environment from the adverse effects of
Hg, mercury emissions are still increasing rather thandecreasing. The global mercury related environmental
pollution from ASGM, which is caused by poverty, cannot
be solved by ratification of international treaties or NGO
activities alone.

of public and private organizations and associations suchas senior officials and staff of local and central government,
key persons of companies, researchers of local universities,
members of NGO, NPO, and others. This work emphasizes:a) Case studies on reduction of Hg pollution using
a future scenario of ASGM in Indonesia and
Myanmar which includes: (1) environmental impact
assessments; (2) studies of living conditions, culture,
history, and regional sociology; (3) cultivation ororganization of transdisciplinary communities
of practice (TDCOPs) used by transdisciplinary
boundary object (TBO); (4) co-creation of futurescenarios; (5) co-design and co-production withTDCOP members and other stakeholders; and (6)evaluation of the progress of regional innovation
through social and economic studies.
b) Research on interregional networks that aim
to generate Hg-free societies in Indonesia and
Myanmar which include: (1) construction of an
exchange platform for information and collaborationon the management of Hg; (2) improvement oforganizational and communication capacities; and (3)strengthening the communication policy with local
and central governments.
c) Research on improvements in environmental
governance of ASEAN countries through theprinciples and processes used for multilayer andcooperative environmental governance for solving
global mercury pollution.
d) Theoretical and practical studies of the design,practical use, and evaluation of TBO, as well as thepromotion, development, and roles of TDCOP instudy areas. (Figure 1)

Research Objects
The objectives of our research project are to: 1)
understand the link between poverty reduction andenvironmental management in ASGM areas; 2) establish
a process for constructing sustainable societies throughregional innovations in ASGM areas; and 3) strengthen
environmental governance in ASEAN countries.

Methodology and research process
Our project members have been conducting
transdisciplinary research and practice in collaboration
with mining communities, local residents, key stakeholders
28
https://srirep.org/

Figure 1 Whole structure of SRIREP project

FS①

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2020

FR③

FR④

FR⑤

Expected goals of the project
Regional innovation will arise as a consequence ofenvironmental and industrial innovations introduced witha transdisciplinary approach, including the developmentof a future scenario for an Hg-free society, the co-creationand practical application of TBOs, and the mobilizationof TDCOPs. By strengthening environmental governance,
which consists of multiple layers of co-operative
organizations, we will also develop a route via which the
problem of global environmental Hg pollution can be
resolved.

Progress and Achievements
During FR1, members of SRIREP project carried out
several dialogs, fieldworks, and research activities withvarious stakeholders and key stakeholders in mining
communities, local universities, and public and privateorganizations in both Indonesia and Myanmar.
Case studies have been completed largely in Gorontalo
province. The resulting data show that air and water havebeen contaminated due to mercury exposure related towaste water from ASGM in the region. Further studies
regarding mining community livelihood and value-added
composite agriculture in non-polluted areas, as well asworkshops are being conducted as transdisciplinary
practice research for poverty reduction for the next fiscal
year, especially in both Gorontalo, Sulawesi and Bandung,West Java (Figure 2). Some villages of the southern
Bandung region of West Java have voluntarily discontinued
their ASGM activities as a result of two TBO-based
dialogues. (Photo 1)
In Indonesia, to study the establishment of interregional
networks for a mercury-free society, two medical seminars
on human health impact of heavy metals were held in
May 2019. They included approximately 210 participants,
including health care professionals, scientists, andresearchers, including medical scientists from Japan andlocal universities and medical-related associations of
Makassar City and Gorontalo City. Medical workshops
were conducted, including information on Minamata
disease, and the local experience of and concerns related
to the current challenges of heavy metals intoxication was
discussed.
In order to study improvements in environmental
governance in ASEAN countries, dialogs meetings
between SRIREP members and key stakeholders wereconducted in 2019. In December 2019, the UNEP Global
Environment Information Exhibition was co-organizedwith the Japan Association for UNEP in Yangon, Myanmar,in collaboration with some private sector actors. The
2nd ASEAN - Japan Meeting Point of Collaboration by
Stakeholders and Researchers for Reducing Environmental
Problems in ASEAN Countries was held in Nay Pyi Taw,

Researchers at RIHNKIMIJIMA Satomi
KUANG Xiaoxu
WIN THIRI KYAW
Main Members
MATSUDA Hiroyuki
KASAMATSU Hiroki
SHIMAGAMI Motoko
MIYAKITA Takashi
MATSUMOTO Yuichi
ISA, Ishak
JAHJA, Mohamad

Researcher
Researcher

Figure 2 Whole schedule of the case study in Gorontalo Province, Indonesia

Photo 1 Workshop and fieldwork activities with local researchers at some
ASGM areas

Photo 2 Attendees Union Minister of MONREC, officials, researchers andscientists, students, NGO and NPO members from Myanmar, Japan,
Nepal, and ASEAN countries at TRPNEP2019 Nay Pyi Taw Seminar.

the capital of Myanmar, in collaboration with universities
of Japan and six ASEAN countries (Brunei Darussalam,Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal,
and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental
Conservation (MONREC). About 280 attendees, including
researchers and scientists, senior officials and key
stakeholders from Myanmar ministries, universities, NGO,and private companies attended the seminar. (Photo 2)
Dialog meetings, workshops, and stakeholder seminars
are intended to establish future collaborations, multi-tierenvironmental governance for making the future scenarioswith key-stakeholders based on the back-casting method,
creating TBOs, TDCOPs, and policies, strengthening ofenvironmental governance of ASEAN, and constructing
mercury-free society networks and sustainable societies
through regional innovations.

MYO HAN HTUN
TAKEHARA Mari

Research Associate
Research Associate

Researcher

Yokohama National University
Ehime University
Ehime University
Kumamoto Gakuen University
Kwansei Gakuin University
State University of Gorontalo

ABDURRACHMAN, Mirzam
KURNIAWAN, A. Idham
ARIFIN, Bustanul
ISOMONO, Hanung
BASRI
BOBBY

Institut Teknologi Bandung
Institut Teknologi Bandung
Lampung University
Lampung University
College of Health Sciences Makassar
Network Activities Groups

State University of Gorontalo

29Core Program

The Core Program develops concepts and methodologies for transdisciplinary research to solve
global environmental problems in collaboration with society. Core projects develop comprehensive
and systematic concepts and methodologies for transdisciplinary research, which are widely
applicable to global environmental issues, and accessible to related stakeholders.
Core projects produce conceptual and methodological frameworks together with RIHN Research
Projects, based on individual methods, techniques, and tools from the divisions in the RIHN Center.
Core projects collaborate with Research Projects, building on the case studies developed by theseprojects, and develop comprehensive and systematic methodologies beyond an individual Research
Program or Project. Core projects also deliver completed concepts and methodology to Research
Programs and Projects, the RIHN Center, and related stakeholders.

Core Program online meeting (Apr. 2, 2020)

Program Director

TANIGUCHI Makoto RIHN

Prof. Dr. Makoto Taniguchi is a hydrologist and a deputy Director-General at RIHN. He received a Ph.D. from Tsukuba
University, Japan, in 1987. He is currently the vice president of the International Association of Hydrogeologists
and a Steering Committee member of Future Earth Nexus KAN. He has been working on water-related projects
around the world, in particular Asia, authoring or co-authoring over 170 peer reviewed articles and 8 books
including “Groundwater and Subsurface Environment”, “The Dilemma of Boundaries” and “Groundwater as a Key for
Adaptation to the Changing Climate and Society”.

Researcher
LEE, Sanghyun

30

Assistant Professor

Core Progra mOpen Team Science Project

Information Asymmetry Reduction in OpenTeam Science for Socio-environmental Cases
Project Leader

KONDO Yasuhisa RIHN

Yasuhisa Kondo has worked for six years as an associate professor at the Information Resources Division of the RIHN Center. His
academic background is archaeology and geographical information sciences (Ph.D. 2010 The University of Tokyo). He is currently
interested in open science, participatory action research, and transdisciplinary research promotion for environmental archaeology andsocioenvironmental cases. He is also coordinating an archaeological mission to Oman.

Backgrounds and Objectives
Social issues caused by environmental deterioration present
complex and multidimensional problems for science.
To address such wicked problems, solution-oriented
research has involved research experts from different
domains (interdisciplinarity) and also practitioners such as
governments, funders, industries, non-profit organizations,and civil members (transdisciplinarity). However, suchteam science is often disrupted by asymmetric information,knowledge, wisdom, value, socio-economic status, andpower among above-mentioned actors. This Core Project
develops a methodology to reduce (rather than dissolve)
such socio-psychological asymmetry for the sake of more
efficient transdisciplinary (TD) collaboration.

Methodology
To develop the methodology, this project interlinks theconcept of open science, as an open scientific knowledge
production system, with a TD approach to boundary
spanning by transforming in-between spaces into “our”
epistemic living spaces. Technically, boundary spanningcan be achieved by a combination of (1) considering ethicalequity with special attention to empowering marginalized(or “small voice”) actors; (2) building trust by securingtransparency in the research process, by applying the
FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable)

Graphic recording during the workshop in Otsu, Shiga (February 2020).

Researcher at RIHN
NAKAHARA Satoe
Main Members
KANO Kei
KUMAZAWA Terukazu
NAKASHIMA Ken’ichiroŌNISHI Hideyuki
OSAWA Takeshi

https://openteamscience.jp/en/

Principles for research data and information for instance;(3) facilitating dialogue; and (4) discovering and sharing
the goals that actors with different interests can tackle
together (transcend) where necessary. Civic Tech can beapplied as a holistic approach, in which civic engineersdevelop a solution to local issues by using disclosed dataand information and communication technologies. This
proposed methodology is cyclically assessed and improved
through practical case studies, with special interest in
developing a method to measure participants’ perceptual
transformation through interventions.

Expected results
At the completion of the project, we expect to establish
the OpenTS methodology by successfully interlinking
open science and TD theories, with new knowledge about
effective (and ineffective) combinations of visualizationand dialogue tools such as graphic recording, and withqualitative and quantitative methods to measure the effectof boundary spanning.
The project has two major interfaces of social outputs.
The Research Group will make suggestions for national
and international open science policies, while the PracticeGroup will contribute to community-based policymaking
and social startups for the sustainable waterweed recyclingin Lake Biwa and built heritage management in Oman.

On-site experiment of the Biwapoint local electric acknowledgement
system at the occasion of waterweed cleaning on the shore of Lake Biwa.

Researcher

SUETSUGU Satoko

Shiga University/Social Dialogue Skills Laboratory

MIYATA Akihiro
OKUDA Noboru
OTA Kazuhiko
SHIMIZU Junko
VIENNI BAPTISTA, Bianca

RIHN
Hiroshima University
Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts
Tokyo Metropolitan University

Research Associate

The University of Tokyo
Kyoto University
RIHN
Tama Art University
ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Core FS Core FR① Core FR② Core FR③
2020

31

Co-creation Project

Methods and Tactics to Foster Knowledge
Co-creation: A Practical Framework for
Implementing Transdisciplinary Research
Project Leader

ONISHI Yuko RIHN

Core Progra m

Yuko Onishi holds a Ph.D. in environmental science from the University of Oxford (UK). Before joining RIHN, she worked for the Food andAgricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and later worked for the National Institute for Environmental Studies (Japan). She
is a member of the Regional Centre for Future Earth Asia.

It is increasingly acknowledged that transdisciplinary
research methods (TD) are useful in research projects
on global environmental problems for which sciencealone cannot provide a definite solution. However,many researchers have pointed out that the theoreticalconcepts on ideal TD processes are extremely difficult toapply in practice. This project aims to identify a practicalframework for TD research. The practical framework
consists of methods and tactics for fostering knowledge
co-creation, identified from the current TD practices
implemented throughout the world, as well as fromknowledge and perspectives of experienced TD researchersand stakeholders. In order to make sure that the proposed
framework is useful, the project uses the above results
for capacity building and will revise our framework as
necessary.
The project consists of the following four components:
1) Research design2) Tips and tactics (Researcher experiences)
3) Project Reflection (Stakeholder experiences)
4) Capacity building

Under a component of research design, this project
analyses the international research landscape surrounding
TD research. It examines similar research approaches, suchas participatory approach and action research, and seeks
to establish a new definition of TD research and project
design (methods, tools and approaches) for fosteringknowledge co-creation in relation to different types ofenvironmental issues.
In addition to this survey of international TD literature,
the project carries out in-depth studies with researchersand stakeholders in TD projects at RIHN and otherinstitutes. The project carries out in-house workshops aswell as interviews and workshops at existing project fieldsites. Focused study with researchers seeks to develop anovel and unique methodology for knowledge generation
based on personal experiences and to identify tips andtactics to enhance stakeholder engagement in TD research.
Investigation with stakeholders seeks to reveal the effectsof TD projects on stakeholders and communities, which
are the premise of TD projects, but largely overlooked incurrent project evaluation. With this combination of global
and focused investigations, the project seeks to synthesize
RIHN’s TD research experiences and describe its relation
to international trends.

TERRA School 2019 (TD School Co-organized by RIHN and Regional Centre for Future Earth in Asia)

Researcher at RIHN
OKAMOTO Takako
Main Members
KIKUCHI Naoki
OH Tomohiro
NISHIMURA Takeshi

Research Associate

Kanazawa University
Sanyo Gakuen University

32
https://www.chikyu.ac.jp/rihn_e/project/2020-Core-01.html

LAMBINO, Ria
RAMPISELA, Agnes
GASPARATOS, Alexandros

RIHN
Faculty of Agriculture, Hasanuddin University
The University of Tokyo

Core FS Core FR① Core FR② Core FR③
2020

KIMIJIMA Satomi, Clove Spice Garden, Indonesia

33