Loan aid (ODA loans): Approx. ¥75.6 billion (to six countries)

Grant aid: Approx. ¥15.5 billion (to 29 countries)

Grant Assistance for Underprivileged Farmers: Approx. ¥5.7 billion

Grant Aid for Fisheries: Approx. ¥4.6 billion

Technical cooperation

5,116 trainees accepted $ ^{31} $

1,110 experts dispatched $ ^{32} $

274 JOVC etc. dispatched

Fourth World Water Forum in 2006, Japan announced the Water and Sanitation Broad Partnership Initiative (WASABI). This initiative is designed to bolster cooperation with international organizations, other donor countries, domestic and overseas NGOs and other concerned parties, thereby improving further the quality of aid in the areas of water and sanitation.

With regard to strengthening international partnerships, Japan has been pursuing collaboration with the United States through the Clean Water for People Initiative: Currently, cooperation is being conducted on a trial basis with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the four countries of Indonesia, India, the Philippines, and Jamaica. In the Philippines, technical cooperation is carried out together with USAID. In addition, the Municipal Water Loan Financing Project, which combined a loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines using loan aid with the guarantee system of USAID, has been implemented with a view to facilitating private investment in water and sanitation projects.

In WASABI, Japan emphasizes the integrated management of water, including flood control and irrigation, in pursuit of sustainable use of water. As a specific case example, Japan approved the provision of loan aid in Orissa, India to conduct activities like upgrading sewage facilities and rainwater drainage facilities. $ ^{30} $ This project aims to improve the sanitation and living environment for residents, including those living in poverty. In Orissa, India, sector reforms are being advanced, as exemplified by the transfer (delegation of authority) of operation and maintenance tasks for water supply and sewage projects from the state government to local municipalities. An action plan is currently being formulated through support from USAID for this purpose.

## Water Security Action Team (W-SAT)

At TICAD IV, then Prime Minister Fukuda announced the initiative of the Water Security Action Team (W-SAT) that was intended to provide access to water to as many people as possible by sending Japanese specialists to African countries without stable supply sources of safe water. More specifically, Japan Overseas Volunteer Corps (JOVC), Senior Overseas Volunteers and study teams will be dispatched in fields such as underground water digging, pump technology and water pipe maintenance. In August 2008, the study team was sent to Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Senegal to materialize the concept of the W-SAT. The team investigated the current status of waterworks and the past technical cooperation extended from Japan by collecting information from relevant government agencies of each country and consulting with them on possible cooperation in future. Japan will launch specific projects based on the initiative.

## (4) Agricultural and Rural Support/Fisheries

Japan’s record in FY2007 is as follows:

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In developing countries, three out of four poor people live in rural areas, and make a living mainly on agriculture. $ ^{[33]} $ The MDGs set the reduction of poverty and eradication of hunger as the main objectives, stating it will “halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.” Agricultural and rural development is essential in reducing poverty through sustainable economic growth. The situation regarding hunger is grave especially in Africa. In Sub-Saharan Africa, it is said that approximately 200 million people, which corresponds to one third of the population, suffer from hunger. $ ^{[34]} $ To resolve this issue, it is necessary for developing countries to develop a sustainable food supply system. Fisheries industry promotion is also an agenda for sustainable food supply.

See Part II, Chapter 2 (page 37) on food assistance in Africa.

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Together with providing food assistance to developing countries faced with food shortages as a short-term effort to avoid a crisis, Japan is simultaneously carrying out