Urban-Rural Partnerships
A win-win approach to realize

Regional CES(Regional Circular & Ecological Sphere)
Compendium of Good Practices from Japan

Urban-Rural Partnerships
A win-win approach to realize

Regional CES(Regional Circular & Ecological Sphere)
Compendium of Good Practices from Japan

About this Publication:
This publication is developed as a part of several research projects namely Japan Society for
the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR)
funded Indo-Japan Bilateral Project, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
funded Regional Circular & Ecological Sphere (Regional CES) SRF Project and the Belmont
Forum Moveable Nexus ‘M-Nex’ Project (supported by Japan Science and Technology Agency(JST)). This publication provides a glimpse to a few of the most prominent practices in Japanthat foster the notion of urban-rural partnership.
Team Members:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Vibhas Sukhwani, Keio University, Japan
Bijon Kumer Mitra, IGES, Japan
Hikaru Takasawa, Keio University, Japan
Atsushi Ishibashi, Keio University, Japan
Rajib Shaw, Keio University, Japan
Wanglin Yan, Keio University, Japan

How to refer this publication:
Sukhwani, V., Mitra, B.K., Takasawa, H., Ishibashi, A., Shaw, R. and Yan, W. 2019. Urban-Rural
Partnerships: A win-win approach to realize Regional CES (Regional Circular & Ecological
Sphere), Compendium of Good Practices from Japan. Yokohama, Japan: IGES. pp 27.
February 2019

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0
International License.

ISBN 978-4-88788-223-2

Disclaimer:This report is developed based on available literature and photographs from many different
sources. The complete list of referred sources is provided at the end of every section.

CONTENTS
Section 1: Introduction
Scope of the document

3

Section 2: Conceptual Understanding
1. Urban-Rural Linkage
2. Concept of Regional CES
3. Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus in UrbanRural Context

4
4
5
6

Section 3: Case Study Examples
1. Case of Fukuoka City

7
8

Urban-rural partnership for revitalizing headwater areas

2. Case of Lake Biwa

11

Urban-rural partnership for comprehensive development program

3. Case of Kumamoto

14

Urban-rural partnership incentivizing groundwater recharge

4. Case of Kanagawa

17

Urban-rural partnership for water environment conservation

5. Case of Yokohama City

20

Urban-rural partnership for upstream water source forest conservation

6. Case of Honda Suigennomori

23

Urban-rural partnership for water source forest management

7. Case of Suntory and Water

25

Urban-rural partnership for fostering environmental education

Section 4: Conclusion27

I

1. NTRODUCTION
Urbanization, globalization and climate change have emerged as thecharacterizing trends of the 21st century. Cities around the world today are
witnessing phenomenal transformations in their levels of infrastructures andphysical assets, paralleled by an inflow of rural population. By 2018, more than
55% of the world’s population was living in urban areas, a proportion due toreach 68% by 20501. With the current trends of rapid and mostly unplanned
urbanization, cities are becoming the centre of demands for natural resources
like food, energy and water, which mostly come from the rural areas. While therural population is moving towards urban areas in pursuit of livelihoods andquality of life, satisfying the resource demands for the exponentially growing
urban population has become a serious concern for city governments. Overthe recent years, the notion of urban-rural linkage has been highly recognizedin the global development discourse. It has emerged as one of thefundamental elements of sustainable development in global policy frameworks
and targets including the Sustainable Development Goals and Habitat Agenda.
While cities around the world are facing the issue of urban-rural conflicts, there
is a need for enhancing and better managing the urban-rural relationships
through increased partnerships. Providing sustainable solutions to overcome
the contemporary challenges demands study of urban-rural interlinkages atspatial and temporal scales. Correspondingly, the concepts of urban-rural
linkage, Regional Circular and Ecological Sphere (Regional CES) and FoodEnergy-Water nexus need renewed attention for ensuring sustainable
development of urban and rural areas.

Scope of the document
Urban and rural areas both depend on a shared stock of natural resources.
However, their development planning is mostly focused within their establishedboundaries. This report is an effort to bring together innovative methods ofintegrating urban and rural stakeholders to manage shared natural resources.
The report looks at seven different case study examples from Japan,
specifically focusing on water. The case studies have been selected based
upon the principle of urban-rural partnership and consideration of stakeholderinterests. It is hoped that this report will serve as guiding material for regional
level policy making around the world.
The second section elaborates on the key concepts of urban-rural linkage,
Food-Energy-Water (FEW) nexus and regional circular and ecological sphere.
The third section summarizes the characteristics of selected good practices
covering key issues, governance and funding mechanism, stakeholders &beneficiaries and sustainability aspects. The concluding section presents key
learnings from the case studies and provides ideas for the way forward.
1 United Nations (2018). Department of Social and Economic Affairs.

https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/2018-revision-of-world-urbanization-prospects.html

3

2.

CoNCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING

2.1. Urban-Rural Linkage
Urban and rural areas possess different and often complementary assets, andtheir healthier coordination is important to balance social and environmental
interests. Their territories are functionally interconnected through different
types of linkages that often cross traditional administrative boundaries1. The
urban-rural linkages consist of flows (of goods, people, information, finance,
waste and information, as well as social relations) across space, connecting
rural and urban areas2. Urban and rural areas are collectively vulnerable toemerging socio-environmental changes, though at different levels, because ofshared environmental resources. Therefore, it has become crucial tostrengthen urban-rural linkages so as to methodically resolve the current andunforeseen bottlenecks related to resource security in urban areas, specificallywith respect to food, energy and water, which are currently governed by adiscrete sectorial approach. The secured supply of natural resources
fundamentally relies on managing risks as well as urban-rural trade-offs, andrealising synergies, which makes it important that these concerns arecollectively addressed by urban and rural stakeholders. As the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) aim for balanced territorial development, theconcept of urban-rural linkages holds paramount importance in the context ofemerging climatic changes, not only for achieving SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities
and Communities), but also SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 12 (Responsible
Consumption and Production) among others. The coordinated development ofurban and rural areas is the key to sustainable development and reinforcing
urban-rural linkages is an optimal pathway to achieve this.

Finances,
Employment,
Technology, Waste,
Pollution

Natural Resources,
Human Capital
Underlining urban-rural linkages

4

1 OECD (2017). Rural Urban linkages. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

http://www.oecd.org/cfe/regional-policy/rural-urban-linkages.htm
2 Tacoli, C. (2015). Rural urban linkages. International Institute for Environment and Development..
https://www.iied.org/rural-urban-linkages2.2. Concept of Regional CES
The concept of Regional Circular and Ecological Sphere (Regional CES)
emerged through deliberations on the 5th Basic Environment Plan of Japan.
The concept was framed based on an integrated policy approach thatincorporates the concepts of (a) low-carbon society, (b) resource circulation,and (c) living in harmony with nature. It aims to maximize the vitality of all
regions through sustainable, equitable and efficient use of resources ofmountainous, agricultural and fishing villages as well as cities in an integrated
manner1. Subject to the scale of resource circulation, the creation of Regional
CES complements and supports regional resources by building broader
networks, composed of natural connections (connections among forests, thecountryside, rivers and the sea) and economic connections (composed ofhuman resources, funds and others)2. In this way Regional CES complement
each other and generate synergy. The key to creating Regional CES is to rediscover regional resources through a collaborative approach by involving
multiple stakeholders, and to make optimum use of resources in a sustainable
manner, be it on community level or a larger scale such as a river basin.
Regional CES provides a concrete vision of an integrated approach covering
economic, social and environmental dimensions as covered by the SDGs. The
concept focuses attention on the wise use of locally abundant natural capital,such as solar, wind etc. and thus can serve as a means for local income
generation and economic revitalization of rural communities. It also ensures a
symbiotic relationship with nature, between people, the environment and living
creatures in particular, recognizing the fact that humans are a part of theenvironment and are living creatures themselves2.

Source: Ministry of the Environment3

Conceptual illustration of a Regional CES
1 https://www.iges.or.jp/en/sdgs/sts.html
2 http://www.env.go.jp/en/policy/index.html
3 http://www.env.go.jp/en/wpaper/2018/pdf/04.pdf

5

2.3. FEW NEXUS in Urban-Rural Context
Food-Energy-Water (FEW) nexus refers to the complex relationships andtrade-offs between these three closely linked systems. While water is needed
for almost all forms of energy production and power generation, energy isrequired to treat and transport water, and both water and energy are needed
to produce food. The concept of ‘FEW nexus’ gained renewed attention at
global level in response to climate change and social changes including1
growing inequalities and social discontent . The demands for water, energy
and food are estimated to increase by 40%, 50% and 35% respectively by
22030 . The inter-linkages between these sectors further complicates thechallenge of addressing their growing demands. Addressing the FEW nexus ina sustainable manner has therefore turned out to be one of the most critical3
global environmental challenge . While planning for the secured physical andeconomic access to required FEW resources in urban areas, it isindispensable to consider the regional perspective and the linkages with rural
areas. Urban areas depend on rural areas for a variety of natural resources
including food, energy and water. With the backdrop of rapid urbanization,
population growth and expanding city boundaries, more and more forest lands,
water bodies, and productive agricultural lands etc. surrounding cityboundaries are been acquired for development. The correspondingly evolving
socio-environmental changes are further stressing the natural resources tocritical thresholds. Although the governance structures for urban and rural
areas are mostly discrete, there is a genuine need for revisiting the FEW
resource planning principles in consideration of the growing number of urbanrural trade-offs and potential conflicts.
Population
GrowthFood

Energy

Urban
Areas

Rural
Areas
Rapid
Urbanization

Rural
Areas
Expandingboundaries

Water

Understanding FEW Nexus in urban-rural context
1Hoff, H. (2011). Understanding the Nexus. Background Paper for the Bonn2011 Conference: The Water, Energy and Food

6

Security Nexus. Stockholm Environment Institute, Stockholm.
2US NIC. (2012). Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds. United States National Intelligence Council, Washington DC, USA.
3Endo et al. (2015). Methods of the Water-Energy-Food Nexus. Water. 7. 10.3390/w7105806.

3.

CASE STUDY EXAMPLES
Prefecture
Map of Japan

*2
*1
*4
*3

*5

Case *6 & *7 are not
location specific

Location Map for Selected Case Study Areas 1,2
S. No. Case Study Name
*1
Case of Fukuoka city

*2

Case of Lake Biwa

*3

Case of Kumamoto*4

Case of Kanagawa*5

Case of Yokohama City

*6

Honda Suigennomori*7

Suntory And Water

Start Year Key Highlights
Innovative means of fund1997
collection for water resource
preservation and management
Comprehensive
development
1972
program for preserving andrestoring the Lake Biwa
Industries off-setting the ground2003
water utilisation by incentivisingground water recharge
2005
Conservation and restoration ofwater
sourceenvironment
through taxation
1916
Acquiring and managing theprivately owned upstream water
sourceforestlands
withstakeholders
Private company engaging
2005
employees
inforestmanagement as CSR activity
Privatecompany
fostering
2004
environmental education forschool students as CSR activity

1https://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/japan/jplatlog.htm
2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prefectures_of_Japan

7

CASE STUDY 1: Case of Fukuoka city
Urban-rural partnership for revitalizing headwater areas

1. Introduction• Case Study Area: Fukuoka city
• Prefecture: Fukuoka• Population: 1.539 million (2015)• Area: 340 square kilometers• Annual Average Temperature: 16.3 °C• Annual Rainfall: 1,600 mm*Fukuoka city is the capital of Fukuoka
Prefecture, located on the northern shoreof Japanese island Kyushu.

Location Map of Fukuoka CityKey Issue: Fukuoka is the only major city in Japan without a main river flowing
through it. The city depends on the Chikugogawa River for one-third of its waterrequirements and it relies on the neighboring cities in developing dams for the
residual water supply demands. However, faced with the developing concernsof depopulation, ageing society and economic pressures on the forestry
industry, the forests surrounding the water source dams have become
degraded. This has weakened their water recharge functions to such an extent
that maintaining a continued water supply for the city has become difficult.
Why and when the scheme started: Fukuoka city established the Fukuoka
City Water Supply Foundation Fund for Water Resource Preservation Projects
on April 1, 1997 for conservation and management of water source forests.

Key Highlights
1. Collaborative projects and proper coordination between local governments(both upstream and downstream) have helped improve the water
recharge capacities of upstream forest areas.
2. Fukuoka city has come up with an innovative means of fund collection
wherein the city government takes 0.5 Japanese Yen (JPY) from the water
charge revenue and 0.5 JPY from the city’s general budget per cubic
meter of water consumed in the city.
3. The steering committee established with participation of citizen andacademic experts cooperates with relevant local governments to promote
the development of water source forests.

8

2. About the Scheme
Under this scheme, Fukuoka city executed exchange programs andcollaborative projects with headwater areas, with the goal of enhancing water
recharge capacities of the forest, revitalizing the headwater areas andenhancing partnership between local governments located in both upstream
and downstream areas. To develop water source forests in the catchment
areas, the city government ensured cooperation of the respective
municipalities in water source areas, including the upper reaches of the
Chikugogawa River. For the local dams, the city government engaged inefforts to purchase the privately owned forest lands in catchment areas andenhance their water recharge capacities while forestalling water contamination
due to rapid developments. To improve cooperation with water source areas,
the city government also invites its citizens to participate in silvicultural
management activities, rice planting and catching trout upstream.
Furthermore, the city upholds awareness campaigns to educate citizens about
the status of city’s water sources and the forest areas.

An example of maintained forest

An example of citizen participation

3. Stakeholders & Beneficiaries
The scheme involves the local governments, local communities, academic
experts etc. An independent steering committee has been formed to come up
with ideas to manage funds, maintain forests and enhance community
engagement in forestry activities. The committee includes 3 citizen
representatives, 2 professors majoring in the field and 3 officials from the city
government. The committee members are formally selected; the office term forselected members is 2 years and then the members are allowed to re-apply.
With representation from different sectors, the committee ensures thatstakeholder interests are taken into consideration. In addition, the details of all
the meetings are open to the public, which enhances community participationand ensures transparency. The scheme has advanced with continued public
support and has ensured thorough management of forest lands in water
source areas, securing continued water supply for Fukuoka city.

94. Governance Mechanism
From 1997 to 2006, the Fukuoka City Waterworks Bureau set aside 1 JPY per
cubic meter of water consumed for a water source conservation fund. This
comprised of 0.5 JPY from the water charge revenue and 0.5 JPY from thecity’s general budget. As per the city government, it annually allocates 100
million JPY from the collected fund for forest management activities in water
source areas, exchange programs and contribution towards a river basin
based partnership fund which also includes neighboring municipalities. In
addition, various grants are offered for supporting civil activities focused atplanting trees, clearing underbrush as well as other interactive programs.
Fukuoka city also contributes to a fund established by the Partnership for
Public Administration in the Greater Fukuoka Area that promotes cooperation
with neighboring local governments for shared undertakings in water sourceareas. The committee originally came up with a plan to save 1.5 billion JPY in
10 years starting in 1997. A total of 1.43 billion JPY had been saved by 2006.
The local government is currently reconsidering the whole investment
mechanism so as to ensure that target funds are available until 2026.

Funding mechanism for the scheme

References
•
•
•

10

TEEBcase by Hiroshi Nishimiya (2010) Management of urban water
sources, Japan, available at: TEEBweb.org
http://www.city.fukuoka.lg.jp/mizu/ryuiki/0037.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuoka

CASE STUDY 2: Case of Lake Biwa
Urban-rural partnership for comprehensive development program

1. Introduction• Case Study Area: Lake Biwa
• Prefecture: Shiga• Population: 1.41 million (2018)• Area: 4,017.38 square kilometers*Lake Biwa, with an area of 670 square
kilometers, is the largest lake in Japan. It is
located at the center of Shiga Prefecture.
Length from north to south is about 80 kms andthe widest part from east to west is about 25
kms. The altitude of the lake surface is about
84 meters and the depth is about 103 meters.

Location Map of Lake Biwa

Key Issue: The communities around lake Biwa have periodically been
exposed to severe flooding and drought events. The progressive urbanizationand industrialization trends have stressed the lake's natural environment.
Since the post-World War II high economic growth period, the demand forwater has gradually increased in the Yodo River basin (downstream area),
imposing higher burden on Lake Biwa as an important water source.
Why and when the scheme started: The Lake Biwa Comprehensive
Development Program was introduced in the year 1972 as a national levelproject in compliance with the Special Law for Developing the Lake Biwa
Region. The Special Law was extended twice (in 1982 and 1992) and theprogram was in operation for 25 years from 1972 to 1997.

Key Highlights
1. The Lake Biwa Comprehensive Development Program, initiated in the year
1972, aimed at promoting effective use of water, controlling floods anddrought and creating rich waterfront areas.
2. The total expenditure for the Comprehensive Development Program
reached 1,905 billion JPY. The funding was secured from different
stakeholders including National and Prefectural (upstream & downstream)
governments.
3. Citizens are highly engaged with non-profit organizations and governmental
agencies to achieve the Program’s objectives.

112. About the Scheme
Water from Lake Biwa and the Yodo River supports social and economic
activities much beyond their respective basins, catering to extensive areas of
the Kinki region. To address various issues in a holistic way and seek
economic development of areas around Yodo River basin (both upstream anddownstream), the comprehensive development program focused on promoting
effective use of water, controlling floods and drought, and creating amenity-richwaterfront areas. The major objective of the program was to conserve andrestore the lake's environment. An automatic monitoring station was built
inside the lake in addition to the sewage treatment plant that was developed torestore the water quality of Lake Biwa. Overall, the program encompassed
various projects in 22 categories, all contributing to wide-ranging developmentof the Kinki region. The total budget amounted to approximately 1,863 billion
JPY, however when the program was fully completed, actual expenditures had
reached 1,905 billion JPY

Lake Biwa &Yodo River basin

Reed Colony Conservation Areas

3. Stakeholders & Beneficiaries
The Yodo River basin covers a wide area of about 8,240 square kilometers,
comprising six prefectures namely Mie, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo and Nara.
Tap water from the lake and river serves around 14 million people, the largest
proportion of population benefiting from a single water source in Japan. Withextensive projects of Lake Biwa Comprehensive Development Program, thewater levels in Lake Biwa and Yodo River basin have improved significantly.
Citizens, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies were collectively
involved in the program activities like framing block level action plans,afforestation, eco-friendly agriculture, river improvement plans, network
centres, environmental business exhibitions, and a museum, etc.

12

4. Governance Mechanism
The Lake Biwa Comprehensive Development Program was established incompliance with the Special Law for Developing the Lake Biwa region, which
provided legal grounds for allocating special funds from the national
government. This legal system paved the way for many successive water
source development programs throughout Japan.
Special funds from national government: Special funds from the national
government were allocated for many projects of the Program.
Lake Biwa Management fund: Shiga Prefecture instituted the Lake Biwa
Management fund of about 10 billion JPY to finance the construction andoperation of several projects like the automatic monitoring system.
Cost-sharing of Municipalities in Lower Basin: The municipalities in thedownstream areas of Yodo river basin, that would benefit from the program,shared the expenses of the lake development projects which were
implemented by Shiga Prefecture and other municipalities within the
Prefecture. The share proportions were determined in accordance with thewater volume that would be supplied from the newly developed resources (40tons overall). The shares paid by all the concerned municipalities totaled
approximately 60.2 billion JPY. Additionally, Osaka and Hyogo prefectures
supported Shiga Prefecture with funds totaling 5 billion JPY.
Lake Biwa Comprehensive Development Program

Environmental Preservation

Flood Control

Effective Water Use

Water Quality Conservation

Inflowing Rivers

Downstream
Usage

Natural Environment
Conservation

Lake

Use in Shiga
Prefecture

Soil Recharge
Capacity

Fisheries

Systems of Lake Biwa Comprehensive
Development Program

References•••

http://www.mlit.go.jp/crd/daisei/biwako_hozen/pamphlet/pamphlet_en.pdf
http://www.travel-around-japan.com/k65-01-lake-biwa.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiga_Prefecture#Geography

13

CASE STUDY 3: Case of Kumamoto City
Urban-rural partnership incentivizing groundwater recharge

1. Introduction• Case Study Area: Kumamoto City
• Prefecture: Kumamoto• Population: 737,812 (2017)• Area: 389.53 square kilometers• Daily Mean Temperature: 16.9 °C• Annual Rainfall: 1,985.9 mm*Kumamoto is the capital city of
Kumamoto Prefecture. It is located on
the island of Kyushu, Japan.

Location Map of Kumamoto

Key Issue: Kumamoto prefecture relies on groundwater for 80 percent of its
water requirement, while the capital city Kumamoto is completely dependent
on groundwater. In the recent years, the groundwater levels have lowered in
the region due to policy-driven reduction in the areas of land used for rice
paddy cultivation and an increase in the areas used for residential purposes.
Why and when the scheme started: In response to the issue of reduced
groundwater levels, Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation's
Kumamoto Technology Center (Kumamoto TEC) initiated the concept ofindustries being water neutral or to completely return the groundwater theyused. This innovative groundwater scheme was launched by Sony
Semiconductor Kyushu in the year 2003 in association with a local nongovernmental organization, a local agricultural cooperative and land
improvement districts and local municipalities, and later engaging many otherlocal firms, as well as Kumamoto city government.

Key Highlights
1. Sony semiconductor plant in Kumamoto introduced an innovative scheme
to counterbalance their groundwater consumption by engaging with local
farmers.
2. The participating farmers are asked to flood their paddy fields during theoff-season, which facilitates groundwater recharge. In return the company
provides incentives to the farmers based on established rates.
3. One of the key reasons for the success of this scheme was thedevelopment of a thorough scientific understanding of the issues by the
local academic experts and researchers,.

14

2. About the Scheme
Under this scheme, the Sony semiconductor plant asks volunteering local
farmers to flood abandoned rice fields between crops or organic rice paddies
after harvest. The required water is drawn in from the Shirakawa river andallowed to soak into the ground. The estimated amount of water used by theplant as of 2009 was about 9.8 million tons. Through this scheme, it could
successfully recharge ground water levels by 11.6 million tons. The scientificbase has helped establish a standard payment rate for the farmers based onequivalent flooded area per month. The local farmers are paid a fee of 11,000
JPY per 1,000 square meters to cover various costs of management andpreparation incurred during 30 days of off-season flooding. The farmers arecorrespondingly paid 11,000 JPY, 16,500 JPY and 22,000 JPY for flooding
1,000 square meters of rice fields for 1, 2 and 3 months respectively. From
May to October, Kumamoto TEC, through its water facilities, assists in flooding
the unused rice paddies with river water, thus allowing the additional water topenetrate into the soil and eventually replenish the aquifer. This is a win-win
scheme because the farmers have an additional source of income and theprivate companies can offset their groundwater consumption in a transparent
manner. Consuming 1 kilogram of rice grown in these fields is believed to havean effect of recharging 20-30 square meters of groundwater. In this way, therice consumers are also able to indirectly contribute to recharging groundwater
imposed by using tap water.
Payment Mechanism
Days of off-season
flooding
30 Days
60 Days
90 Days

Payment to partnering
farmers
11,000JPY/1,000㎡
16,500JPY/1,000㎡
22,000JPY/1,000㎡

Mechanism of groundwater recharge using rice fields

3. Stakeholders & Beneficiaries
Kumamoto TEC is actively engaged in recharging groundwater using paddy
fields in partnership with local environmental non-profit organizations as part ofits corporate social responsibility policy. This scheme initiated by Sony
Semiconductor involved many other stakeholders such as universities,
Kumamoto Groundwater Foundation, farmers, industries and local non-profit
organizations (NPOs). While the local communities benefit through therecharged groundwater levels and the incentives, Kumamoto TEC issuccessfully able to offset their water consumption.

15

4. Governance Mechanism
The groundwater recharge scheme at Kumamoto TEC began in fiscal year
2003. In fiscal year 2017, 2.31 million cubic meters more water than thecompany’s yearly water usage (including tap water and groundwater) was
recharged. The company has been encouraging its employees to purchase theagricultural crops produced in the groundwater recharge farming areas, thus
supporting the local farmers and enhancing groundwater replenishment. The
agency’s initiative was later been joined by other local firms as well as the city
government, which incorporated the groundwater recharge scheme in its fiveyear City Water Conservation Plan in 2004 and also during 2009-2013. Manyother related initiatives have since sprung up, such as rice paddy training
programs, citizens’ water conservation movement, rotational paddy-flooding
projects, rainwater harvesting, forest management practices, groundwater
conservation agreements with neighboring towns, volunteer activities,
environmental education and lifelong learning programs for elementary school
students. The development of a thorough scientific understanding by theexperts and researchers, mainly from the local universities, was the key factor
for the scheme’s success. The scheme was nominated for the best practiceaward for the ‘2013 UN Water for Life’. Groundwater recharge has now
become one of the main priorities of the Kumamoto city government.

Water cycle in a water-offsetting scheme

References
•
•
•
•

16

TEEBcase by Hiroshi Nishimiya (2010). Payments for groundwater recharge, Japan,
available at: TEEBweb.org
https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/csr_report/environment/site/biodiversity/kumamoto.html
http://www.travel-around-japan.com/k94-00-kumamoto-pref.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumamoto

CASE STUDY 4: Case of Kanagawa
Urban-rural partnership for water environment conservation

1. Introduction• Case Study Area: Kanagawa Prefecture• Prefecture: Kanagawa• Population: 9.072 million (2012)• Area: 2,416.04 square kilometers*Kanagawa is a coastal prefecture justsouth of Tokyo. It is a part of the Greater
Tokyo Area. Sagami River and Sakawa
River are the source of 90% of water in
Kanagawa Prefecture. Notably, 80% of thecatchment area of these rivers lies in
Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures.

Location Map of Kanagawa

Key Issue: 70 percent of the total catchment forests for Sagami river and
Sakawa river are privately owned. Over the decades, these privately owned
forests have deteriorated due to various constraints on forestry operations likestagnant timber pricing. Resultantly, the quality of prefectural water sources isbeing affected and has become a serious concern.
Why and when the scheme started: Kanagawa Prefecture laid out a longterm plan for conserving and restoring the water sources, by adopting the
Basic Policy for Kanagawa Water Source Environment Conservation and
Restoration (2005 to 2025). In line with this Policy, the Prefecture formulated
the Five Year Action Plan for Conservation and Restoration of Water Source
Environment (in its third phase as of 2019).

Key Highlights
1. Kanagawa Prefecture formulated a Five Year Action Plan for Conservation
and Restoration of Water Source Environment, aimed at preserving thesource of water supply in the upstream forest lands.
2. To secure the funding for the plan, the prefectural inhabitant tax has been
increased by an average of 890 JPY per taxpayer.
3. The unique characteristics of the policy include stakeholder involvement,
wherein the participating civil society organizations and local citizens are
duly considered for decision making and complete transparency in project
spending is maintained.

172. About the Scheme
To sustainably finance the forest management programs under the scheme,
the Kanagawa prefectural inhabitant tax was increased by an average of 890
JPY per taxpayer. This tax comprises of fixed rates (300 JPY, regardless of
income) and the remaining based on income levels (4 percent of total tax per
capita). The taxation rate is determined every five years depending on therequired expenses for implementing the programs stipulated in the Five Year
Action Plan, which is presently 20 billion JPY. Apart from the forest
conservation activities, the tax revenue is also used for sewage collection andtreatment, monitoring of water environment, awareness raising, river andgroundwater conservation.
Yamanashi
Prefecture

Kawasaki City
Sagami RiverRiver

ShizuokaPrefecture

Yokohama City

Sakawa River

Kanagawa PrefectureDams, Catchments

Sagami River Watershed
Sakawa River Watershed

Watershed areas of Kanagawa Prefecture (Mitra et al. 2019)

3. Stakeholders & Beneficiaries
A committee is formed to manage thecollected funds which comprises of
stakeholders from different sectors
including citizens. Notably, 25 % of thecommittee members are from civilsociety organizations. Few of the otherkey factors for the success of thispolicy are financial transparency andactive involvement of private sector.
The
schemeincludesregularmonitoring and reporting to the public.
The
committee
also
arrangesdemonstration field visits for citizens.

18

Forest Management Practices

4. Governance Mechanism
As stated, the Kanagawa Prefecture framed the Five Year Action Plan forConservation and Restoration of Water Source Environment. Every five years
project progress is reviewed and necessary revisions are made to theactivities. Evaluation of the Action Plan is carried out according to each stageof the outcomes, as well as collectively. The prefectural government
establishes mid-term and long-term outcomes with the main objective ofachieving stable supply of good quality water for future generations throughconserving and restoring the natural environment. The below figure explains
the evaluation framework for the five year action plans.

Evaluation Framework of Kanagawa Prefectural Five Year Action Plan forConservation and Restoration of Water Source Environment (2016)••••

References
Kanagawa Prefecture (2016) Third Phase of Kanagawa Water Source Environment
Conservation and Restoration 5-year Action Plan
Kanagawa Prefecture (2005) Basic Policy for Kanagawa Water Source Environment
Conservation and Restoration. http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanagawa_Prefecture
Mitra B.K., Shaw R., Yan W., Takeda T. (2019) Water-Energy-Food Nexus: A Provision
to Tackle Urban Drought. In: Ray B., Shaw R. (eds) Urban Drought. Disaster Risk
Reduction (Methods, Approaches and Practices). Springer, Singapore

19CASE STUDY 5: Case of Yokohama City
Urban-rural partnership for upstream water source forest conservation

1. Introduction• Case Study Area: Yokohama City
• Prefecture: Kanagawa• Population: 3.725 million (2015)• Area: 437.38 square kilometers• Daily Mean Temperature: 15.8 °C• Annual Rainfall: 1,688.8 mm*Yokohama is the capital
Kanagawa prefecture.

city

of

Location Map of Yokohama

Key Issue: While Yokohama today is the second largest city in Japan by
population, it very much depends on rural areas for water supply. As much of
the city consists of reclaimed sea and swampland areas, good quality watercannot be obtained even by boring wells. Doshi mura, located in Yamanashi
prefecture is one of the key sources of water supply for Yokohama city. Notably,
60% of the forest lands in these upstream village areas are privately owned andtheir proper management has become a challenge for Yokohama city, owing to
the concerns of depopulation, aging society and shortage of labour.
Why and when the scheme started: To ensure thorough management of theforest lands around the water source areas, Yokohama Waterworks Bureaucame up with an initiative to purchase the privately owned forest lands andensure their proper management with the help of different stakeholders
including local communities, volunteer groups etc. The Bureau has maintained
the forest lands in Doshi mura since 1916.

Key Highlights
1.

2.

3.

20

Yokohama introduced the concept of water conservation forests,
wherein the local government acquires the privately owned lands in the
upstream water source areas and ensures their proper management.
The city government utilizes various funds including the Yokohama
Water Birthplace Doshi-no-mori Fund for forest management activities inthese designated areas.
A unique characteristic of this scheme is multi-stakeholder engagement.
The water source management activities are mostly carried out by
volunteer groups and other stakeholders.

2. About the Scheme
Yokohama city’s daily water demand of 1,955,700 cubic meters is met from 5
different sources – Doshi River, Sagamiko, Banyu River, Sakawa River andSagami River. As lack of forest management threatens most water sourceareas, Yokohama Waterworks Bureau established the concept of ‘water
conservation forest’, also called ‘green dam’, which performs the threesignificant functions of storing water, purifying water and preventing flooding.
Doshi River, which is the water supply source of Yokohama city, runs throughDoshi mura, Minami-tsuru-gun in Yamanashi Prefecture. Yokohama
Waterworks Bureau has maintained a water conservation forest in Doshi murasince 1916. The forest lands cover approximately 2,873 hectares, accounting
for about 36 percent of the total village area, and about the same size as thatof Tsuzuki-ku in the city of Yokohama.

Mechanism of water conservation forest

3. Stakeholders & Beneficiaries
In order to safeguard and develop Doshi water conservation forest, the city
government is taking various measures for engaging different stakeholders.
The forest has largely been maintained by volunteer groups since FY2004.
Today, the maintenance works are promoted in cooperation with the volunteer
organization ‘Doshi Water Conservation Forest Volunteers Association’, which
was founded by the participants of such volunteer activities. Various non-profit
organizations, local volunteer groups and high school students have also
participated in these maintenance activities. The participation of volunteer
groups has been an integral component of the scheme. Today, Yokohama city
has secured access to water and the continuity of water supply in the future isassured. These water supply projects are also closely tied to the environment
as they strive for optimal utilization of available resources and minimizing thewater losses in everyday life.

21

4. Governance Mechanism
Yokohama Waterworks Bureau has established the Water Conservation Forest
Management Office, which carries out various undertakings necessary toprotect and enhance the capacities of water conservation forest, including
thinning, pruning and weeding. Given the shortage of labor, depopulation andthe aging society, the local government has made significant efforts to involvea range of stakeholders in the forest management activities. Utilizing the
Yokohama Water Birthplace Doshi-no-mori Fund, the local government
undertakes the maintenance of forest lands in the watershed areas together
with the citizen volunteers. To ensure financial resources for the forest
management activities, the local government also engages with privatecompanies and business groups.
Further, a range of measures have been taken for enhancing stakeholder
engagement in forest management activities like training programs, seminars
and field visits to water source forest areas in Doshi mura. Subsidies havebeen announced for the volunteers participating in the forestry operations in
Doshi area wherein the city government provides various allowances including
for travel. Major emphasis has been put on environmental preservation
through solar energy generation, interventions to mitigate heat island
phenomenon and setting up of environmental action goals etc. Eco-projects
have been initiated to enhance carbon dioxide absorption in the forest areas.
Numerous innovative means of enhancing civic cooperation are put in place
including collaboration with five universities for the development of humanresources, technology and knowledge sharing, improvement of academic
research and development of the water supply business as a whole. Further,
Yokohama Civic Cooperation Guidelines were established, and these promotemutual cooperation with local people and experts in different fields. Numerous
partnership desks have been setup to accept proposals on civic cooperationfrom private groups, such as companies and non-profit organizations, thatspecialize in water supply. The bottled water brand ‘Hamakko Doshi the Water’is also based on the clear waters of Doshi River. This bottled water is soldthrough convenience stores and vending machines in the city. A part of theincome generated from its sales goes towards ‘Doshi Forest Foundation’ andfor supporting various campaigns organized by the local residents to protect
water source forests in Doshi mura.

References
•
•
•
•

22

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokohama
http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/suidou/language/english/doshi.html
http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/seisaku/senryaku/en/policies/water/
http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/suidou/kyoku/torikumi/

CASE STUDY 6: Honda Suigennomori
Urban-rural partnership for water source forest management

1. Introduction
Honda Motor Company Limited is a Japanesepublic multinational conglomerate corporation
primarily known as a manufacturer of
automobiles, aircraft, motorcycles, and power
equipment.
Under
Corporate
SocialResponsibility (CSR) activities, the company
aims to create a positive impact on the society by
reducing impacts on the environment through arange of public service works in the communities

Honda logo

Key Issue: Forest areas in the upstream areas are linked to the water supply forthe majority of cities in Japan. With low timber prices, shortage of labour and theaging society, the management of these upstream forests has become achallenge for the local governments. Consequently, there is a clear need forstakeholder engagement, including the private sector and local communities, inforest management activities.
Why and when the scheme started: While the company generates carbon
emissions at the various stages of its products – supply, manufacture,transportation and consumption – it strives to reduce its negative impact on theenvironment as part of its CSR activities. Since 2005, Honda has been engaging
its employees, on a voluntary basis, in forest management activities in different
areas of Japan, specifically towns in Gumma Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, Mie
Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture, Kumamoto Prefecture, and Shizuoka Prefecture.

Key Highlights
1. Since 2005, Honda has engaged its employees in forest management
activities in different parts of Japan.
2. Honda is supporting forest management activities as a part of its CSR
program. Honda employees are asked to voluntarily participate in activities
such as tree planting, management of forest lands, etc.
3. These activities are undertaken in many different areas of Japan incooperation with local communities, non-profit organizations and otherstakeholders to improve environmental conditions.

23

2. About the Scheme
Honda’s recent efforts for reducing the environmental impact of its operations
are strongly focused on bringing down carbon emissions through improved
energy efficiency and decreasing emissions associated with the transportationof finished products. In 2005, Honda began to plant trees around Lake Kosugewith an aim to restore the natural environment. Since then, the forest
management activities have continued in different parts of Japan on a
voluntary basis. The participants are mainly Honda employees, (both current
and former) and their families. In addition, people from local communities,
NPOs and forest departments have also volunteered for the management
activities. After 13 years, a total of 952 people have participated in this project.
The management activities for many areas have already been completed (like
Kosuge) while others are still in progress. The company maintains a progressrecord for all the areas on their website, which is open to general public.

Planting new trees

Conservation of water source forests

3. Stakeholders & Beneficiaries
The scheme is run by a private company but primarily serves for community
welfare and environment restoration. The major stakeholders include Honda,
the volunteers, NPOs and the local communities. The Honda employees are
exposed to the natural environment in a way that is rare for urban citizens. The
scheme has generated a positive environment for forest management andmore volunteers are expected to join and contribute in upcoming years.

References
•
•
•
•

24

https://www.honda.co.jp/philanthropy/contents/forest/reporthttps://www.honda.co.jp/philanthropy/contents/list/environment.html
https://csr.honda.com/longform-content/hondas-corporate-socialresponsibility-report/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda

CASE STUDY 7: Suntory & Water
Urban-rural partnership for fostering environmental education

1. Introduction
Founded in 1899, Suntory Group is one of theleading companies in beverages (alcoholic &non-alcoholic) at global level. Since, water is the
key raw material for Suntory's
business
products, the company initiated public awarenessand education programs in different parts ofJapan for conservation of water source forests.
The main objective of the program is to encourage
environmental education in schools.
Key Issue: With changing climatic conditions and increasing population,
ensuring secure access to water for every human being has become a global
challenge. With acute shortage of surface water resources and fluctuating
ground water levels in some areas of Japan, the excessive use of water byprivate companies has raised public concerns.
Why and when the scheme started: Suntory Group's business activities arefundamentally supported by water, so water security is one of its main concerns.
Many of the general public are not aware of various aspects of water security,
such as the importance of forest preservation to water supply. Raising
environmental awareness is key to ensuring a healthy and abundant naturalenvironment. Based on this understanding, Suntory launched the project
Suntory Mizuiku -Education Program for Nature and Water in 2004 to raise
environmental awareness and to teach future generations about natural resource
elements, specifically water. In Japanese, ‘Mizu’ means water and ‘iku’ means
education.

Key Highlights
1. Being highly dependent on water resources, the company Suntory initiatedan environmental education program called ‘Mizuiki’ (water-education) for
elementary school students in 2004.
2. Suntory is organizing these educational programs as part of its CSR
activities. The programs include both indoor and outdoor learning
experiences. Suntory, being a global company, has also launched thisprogram in other countries and Online.
3. The program targets elementary students from grade 3 to 6 as well as theirparents so as to ensure a holistic learning process.

25

2. About the Scheme
In 2004, Suntory launched the Mizuiku program to guide younger generations
about the source of water and help them understand the significance of forest
preservation. Suntory offers study programs in grades three through six inelementary schools. The Mizuiku program is aimed at offering students aninteractive and hands-on experience which helps them understand and value
the importance of forests and water resources. The core idea is to make adifference by teaching the importance of nature through videos andexperiments so as to pass down knowledge on water issues to future
generations. The educational programs, classroom activities as well as
outdoor learning, have been held in different metropolitan areas of Keihanshin,
Aichi, Gifu, Yamanashi, Tottori and Kumamoto prefectures. Until 2016, about
21,000 students and parents have visited Suntory's Natural Water
Sanctuaries in the forests surrounding Suntory Tennensui facilities, together
with environmental experts, as a part of outdoor learning on forest and water.

Teaching about Water at Schools

Outdoor School of Forest and Water

3. Stakeholders & Beneficiaries
More than 122,000 students and parents have participated in these programs
at approximately 1,600 schools as of 2017. Many other students, from aroundthe world, are also getting benefitted from the program as it provides detailed
information about its education programs through Online websites, including
Outdoor School of Forest & Water and the Teaching about Water for Schools
programs in addition to kids pages such as the encyclopedia. As the outreachof the company’s products is global, Suntory is also starting to implement
these ideas in other countries such as Vietnam and South Africa with theobjective of encouraging environmental based activities globally..

References
•
•
•

26

http://us.suntory.com/news-studio/mizuiku-education-program-for-natureand-water.html
https://www.suntory.com/csr/activity/environment/eco/education/
https://www.suntory.co.jp/company/overview/

4.

CONCLUSION

This report has presented seven good practices from different parts of Japan
showcasing unique practices of integrating urban and rural stakeholders inmanaging water resources. It has showcased various initiatives originatingfrom local governments and the private sector. The case studies range frombasic forest management initiatives to comprehensive development programs,
and have applied different governance mechanisms and approaches. They
highlight that community interests in rural areas need to be duly taken into
consideration at all stages of policy making for urban areas. Further, to ensure
resource circulation at optimal scales and to realize Regional CES, decision
makers must address the significance of upstream areas for downstream
areas in water resource planning.
Ecosystem services are subject to significant development pressures unlesssustainable forms of finance are available for their maintenance. For continued
water supply in urban areas, the maintenance of upper watershed areas holds
great importance, and this needs to be financed. The selected case study
examples presented different means of financing for environmental
management from taxation to incentivization. The examples of payment forecosystem services initiatives as discussed in two case study examples (Caseof Fukuoka & Kanagawa) are mainly implemented through government
intervention. However, as government budgets are limited, the engagement of
the private sector is essential to secure necessary funds. For the case ofdeveloping countries where financial resources are limited, there is a need forinnovative funding schemes, like in the case of Kumamoto. Further, the casestudies underline the point that thorough scientific understanding including on
the geographical context is critical to establish win-win solutions for realizing
Regional CES.
The need and importance of stakeholder engagement to secure ecosystemservices is apparent from all the case study examples. As water is used byeveryone, there is need for all stakeholders to collectively address waterrelated concerns and contribute to resource management activities. Although
local governments control and maintain the water supply in urban areas, theymust consider stakeholder interests in upstream and downstream areas. They
can establish platforms to address and incorporate opinions of all concerned
stakeholder. The key to stakeholder engagement, as identified from the casestudy examples, is transparency and clear objectives. The case studies
demonstrate the importance of involving all stakeholders, including
academics, others experts, students, volunteer groups, local communities, theprivate sector, civil society organizations, and non-profit organizations indevelopment planning.

27

ISBN 978-4-88788-223-2
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
2108-11 Kamiyamaguchi, Hayama,
Kanagawa, Japan
Email: iges@iges.or.jp
URL: https://www.iges.or.jp/