Japan intends to offer active support for individual countries' efforts in such fields. Japan is actively extending both technical cooperation and financial assistance to help Latin American and Caribbean countries in dealing with the serious and variegated problems of the environment, such as depletion of the Amazon rain forest, urban air pollution, wide-area water pollution, and the spread of slums due to the overconcentration of population in cities. This scheme has won high marks as a form of assistance that, while small in scale, is provided flexibly. So far this program has been directed at countries with low per capita incomes, and for this reason many Latin American and Caribbean countries have not been eligible. Grass-roots grant assistance for these countries will be extended to projects that will directly benefit impoverished groups through the provision of basic requirements, such as medical care.
Japan intends to offer active support for such activities.
Since then, the shares of both technical cooperation and grant aid have grown. ODA loans have been directed largely at agriculture and economic infrastructure related to transportation, energy, and communications. Japan's cooperation has become increasingly diverse. The field of cooperation includes not only the improvement of infrastructure but also environmental protection. Japan's cooperation with Brazil and Mexico is particularly focused on environment-related purposes.