Committee for holding the COP10 and MOP5 in Japan, and started preparations under cooperation with the relevant parties in Nagoya City. The government also set up roundtable meetings, so that a variety of entities could participate in the planning stage and to share information.

## (4) Efforts for an awareness of biodiversity to penetrate society

For promoting dissemination and public awareness of biodiversity to the broader nation, the government set up the “Biodiversity promotion committee on communication and public involvement,” consisting of eminent persons. Based on discussions at the committee, the ministry came up with a Communication slogan for Biodiversity “For All the Life on Earth,” which expresses biodiversity in an easy to understand way, while launching a promotion organization, consisting of celebrities called “Life on the Earth” supporters club and the “Biodiversity action list for citizens” was announced a set of key points for each citizen, for promoting biodiversity.

In order to support efforts for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity in the region, the ministry has launched “The Projects for the Promotion and Support of Biodiversity Conservation,” and has adopted 19 projects nationwide as grant candidates, including wildlife conservation management and countermeasures against alien species.

The Act on Promotion of Ecotourism was enforced in April 2008 and the “basic policy on Promotion of Ecotourism” was approved by the Cabinet in June 2008.

Regarding the system related to the “Hot Springs Law,” the enforcement ordinance concerning the Hot Springs Law was promulgated in May 2008, and the revised Hot Spring Law, promulgated in November 2007, aiming to prevent disasters from combustible natural gas during the extraction of hot spring water, has been implemented since October 1, 2008.

## (5) Efforts to rebuild the relationship between human beings and nature in regions

To secure the human resources dedicated to management, the “Wildlife Management Personnel Training Program” and “the specialist registration system” has been implemented. In response to the outbreak of a highly pathogenic avian influenza in Lake Towada and other areas in spring of 2008, the “Technical Manual on Wild Bird Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Surveillance for local government officials” was developed and the nationwide surveillance system for a highly pathogenic avian influenza was established.

Regarding the domestic endangered species of wild fauna and flora according to the Law for the Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, 9 species were added and 1 species taken out from the list, which total totaled 81 species including 4 species of mammals, 38 species of birds, 1 species of reptile, 1 species of amphibian, 4 species of brackish water and freshwater fish, 10 species of insects, and 23 species of plants. The government stipulated new Programs for the Rehabilitation of Natural Habitats and Maintenance of Viable Populations for 9 species of domestic endangered species of wild fauna and flora, and is conducting such programs for 47 species in total, including breeding and habitat maintenance. In September 2008, 10 Japanese Crested Ibis were experimentally released on Sado Island.

To prevent damage to pet animal health from pet food and ensure the safety of pet animals, the “bill on Ensuring the Safety of Pet Food” was submitted to the 169th ordinary Diet session and the law was enacted in June 2008.

## (6) Efforts to secure a connection between forest, rural area, river and sea

The government consulted the Central Environmental Council on “Regarding the Draft Report of the Central Environment Council on the State of the Implementation of the Natural Parks Law and its Required Measures” in October 2008. After a series of reviews, a list of measures to fulfill biodiversity conservation policy in the national parks, quasi-national parks, and nature conservation areas, was compiled and then reported to the Environment Minister in February 2009. In response to this, a partially amended bill on Natural Parks Law was submitted to the 171st ordinary session of the Diet.

The government designated Japan’s first Regulated Utilization Areas in Nishiodai, a part of Odaigahara in Yoshino-Kumano National Park, and is undertaking sustainable use of the excellent natural environment under these regulations.

## (7) Efforts with a global perspective

The Ministry of the Environment was supposed to; collect and investigate the world’s wisdoms and traditions of living in harmony with nature; to utilize these in the realization of a society, where the entire world can coexist with nature, by combining Japan’s efforts with them and to propose the efforts as the “SATOYAMA Initiative” to the world. At the COP9 to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Environment Minister announced the promotion of efforts to international society. Furthermore, international promotion was agreed at the G8 Environment Ministers Meeting held in May 2008, further promoting efforts towards the “SATOYAMA Initiative.”

Regarding the regional biodiversity and natural phenomena (such as insect distribution and plant blooming), which are susceptible to global warming and other factors, the government launched a citizen participation research project (popularly known as “Biodiversity Observation by One Million People”) in July 2008.

Regarding the Ramsar Convention, Japan cooperated with South East Asian countries to designate wetlands of international importance, provided support toward the opening of the Asian Wetland Symposium in Vietnam, and submitted a joint resolution with the Republic of Korea, related to rice paddy fields, to the Ramsar COP10.

In November 2008, the “International Coral Reef Marine Protected Area Network Meeting/ 4th ICRI East Asia Regional Workshop” was held in Tokyo, drafting a provisional plan to formulate the Coral Reef Marine Protected Area Network Strategy, mainly in East Asia marine areas, by about FY2010.

Regarding Shirotoko, which was designated as a World Natural Heritage Site in 2005, a reactive monitoring mission was conducted at the 32nd World Heritage Committee meeting in July 2008. The management of Shirotoko, utilizing participation from the local community and scientific knowledge from the Shirotoko World National Heritage Scientific Committee, was highly received at the meeting.