Source : Center for the Redevelopment of Pollution-damaged Areas in Japan (The Aozora Foundation)

development will progress, as well as advancing living environment education, under the cooperation of the region and educational institutions with the key word of “sustainable regional development with ESD.”

The Ministry of the Environment has combined “39 key ideas for ESD, learning from the Japanese 14 model areas’ experience” which introduces the detailed approaches of these model areas, and key ideas for advancing ESD in model projects.

## D Energy supply in collaboration with agricultural groups

The Act on the Promotion of New Energy Usage (Act No.37 of 1997) was revised in 2007 and the micro-hydroelectric power generation with the maximum output power of 1,000kW was newly included as a new energy. Accordingly, local governments and others are showing a trend towards introducing the new energy. Major distinctive features of the micro-hydroelectric power generation are that environmental impacts, such as environmental modification during construction, are low, installation can be completed in a short period of time, and are suitable for localized use low volume power demand.

Omachi city, Nagano prefecture started businesses to maintain micro-hydroelectric power generation facilities in 2007, subsidized by the New Energy Foundation and NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization). This business is to effectively use the unused head in the Machikawa irrigation canal, and the run-of-river type power plant will release all of the used water in the Machikawa. The Machikawa has an abundant volume of water, enabling water sampling stability at maximum of $ 1.1 \, m^{3}/s $ and the utilization of the steep terrain (available head of 16.0m, and penstock extension of 83.7m) makes it possible to generate maximum output of 140kW of electricity. The generated electricity will be self-consumed at the nearby night soil treatment facilities, which is also expected to be a place for learning about environment and energy, since 550 tons of $ CO_{2} $ emissions will be saved annually. The Omachi city based “Workshop for Sustainable Community” has also established experimental facilities of micro-hydroelectric power generation facilities in two locations of the city and is maintaining the micro-hydroelectric power generation facilities with a contract with local fishery cooperatives.

These Omachi city approaches have drawn attention nationwide, and many people from many areas are visiting the city for eco-touring and inspection training, leading to invigoration of the area.

## E Conservation and creation of sound water environment by developing municipal wastewater treatment facilities, taking regional characteristics into consideration

For the purpose of conserving a sound water environment in rivers and lakes, as well as improving public health and living environment, it is important to develop municipal wastewater treatment facilities, which are essential for a healthy environment, and to appropriately treat the wastewater emitted from households and plants. The dissemination status of population served by wastewater treatment facilities as of the end of FY2007 (Figure3-3-17) has reached about 84% at the national average, with the sewage system covering about 70% and johkasoh-on-site systems for domestic effluent - and rural community sewerage systems covering about 10% of the total population’s burden. However, suburban areas of provincial cities and small or middle sized municipalities, etc.,