## 5 Promoting the use of wooden building materials

Because wood is an environment-friendly building material due to reasons such as requiring less energy to process in comparison to other materials, and long-term utilization in various applications contributing to preventing global warming and forming a recycling-oriented society, we strive to encourage the utilization of wooden materials in public construction.

Based on the “Act for Promotion of Use of Wood in Public Buildings”, etc., national implementation status of wood usage promotion is published every year, and the “Plan for the promotion of the use of wood in public buildings” was formulated to work on the use of wood as building materials and for the interior of buildings. MLIT is working to set up technical standards relating to designing and building, and to disseminate these standards.

In order to advance the development of wooden dwellings and buildings, various initiatives are being undertaken, such as by providing support for the

Figure II-8-2-4

Examples of the Use of Wooden Building Material

Conference room, Hiratsuka Government Office Building

Source) MLIT

development of long-life quality wooden housing and certified low-carbon housing made using local materials, zero energy houses, certified low-carbon buildings and other quality wooden buildings, and large wooden buildings incorporating pioneering design and construction technologies; developing local programs for the production of wooden housing; and training leaders.

## Section 3 National land development that revives and preserves the natural environment

## 1 Initiatives for preserving biodiversity

As efforts towards the Strategic Plan 2011 to 2020 (objective for the Aichi prefecture), adopted at the COP10 held in Nagoya city, Aichi prefecture in October of 2010, we are currently advancing activities for its achievement. Furthermore, the “National Biodiversity Strategy 2012 to 2020” was formulated in September of 2012, and we have decided to continue the advancement in activities for preserving, reviving, and creating animal habitats in rivers, urban green lands, coastal regions, harbors, and roads.

In October 2011, as reference material for municipalities formulating a basic plan for greening, the “Items for Technical Consideration in Securing Biodiversity in the Basic Plan for Greening”, which summarizes the items that need to be considered in securing biodiversity, was formulated. Further, in May 2013, MLIT formulated the “Urban Biodiversity Index (draft)” to evaluate the progress of the conditions and enforcement of biodiversity by the local governments, and is promoting the efforts of local governments to secure urban biodiversity. In March 2015, the Ministry of the Environment, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries formulated the “Non-native Species Damage Preventative Action Plan” in order to comprehensively and effectively promote Japan’s non-native species countermeasures as well as to protect and continually enjoy the rich biodiversity of Japan.

## 2 Creating rich and beautiful river environments

(1) Creating and conserving a healthy river environment

(i) Creating a rich river environment and stimulating revival

In river development, based on the “Basic Guideline for Rich River Development (established in October 2006)”, we work for the conservation and restoration of animal habitats and diverse river scenery, while concurrently sustaining safety over flood control.