Japanese Water Management Systems from an Economic Perspective: The Agricultural Sector - Water and Agriculture: Sustainability, Markets and Policies - page 55

4.6 Conservation of watershed areas by the LIDs
Conserving watershed areas stabilises river flows and stimulates the groundwater
recharge. Some of the LIDs join voluntary activities to manage the upstream watershed
areas. A famous example is that by Meiji-Yosui Land Improvement District, located at
the basin of the Yahagi River. People in the basin have been continuously working on
effective water management; a large-scale paddy field development was launched in the
14th century, and it took about 300 years to complete the irrigation systems for
agricultural production and industrialisation. A significant increase in population
expanded water demand since the Meiji Era (1868-1912), the new water management
systems including multi-purposed dams were constructed in 1963, and 28 municipalities
established a joint organisation to achieve stable and safe water supply in 1971. While the
Meiji-Yosui LID, the major user of water from the river flows, has joined the
organisation, similar activities had already been carried out by farmers and fishermen.
The LID has independently owned 520 ha of forests in the watershed area under its
conserving management since the Meiji Era.
Many of the LIDs seem to have some role in improving the total system of water
management and conserving watershed areas covered by forests. Some typical examples
are summarised in Table 3.

Table 3. Conservation of forests in watershed areas by LIDs: Examples

Collaborating
organisation

Name of LID Prefecture Features

Facing persistent water shortages in the early 20th century, the
LID owned 251 ha of upstream forests. Reforestation and
managements. Conservation activities since 17th century.

Nanataki Akita None

An exchange program. The LID manages the marketing of
forestry products and has contributed 100 kg of rice as a gift
since 2002.

The forestry
cooperative

Kawashima-Cho Saitama

28 Municipalities
& Fishery
cooperatives

Continuous activities since the Meiji Era. The LID now owns 520
ha of conservation forests. Research and publicity.

Meiji-Yosui Aichi

Toyoda-City &
the fishery
cooperative

Research activities on the environment and cultures related to
forest and river, and publicity of environmental conservation.

Edashita-Yosui Aichi

Kawanishi- Gifu A volunteer group Planting broad-leaved trees and publicity.

Takahashigawa-
Yosui

A profit-sharing forestry operation and conservation activities
since 1960.

Okayama Owners of forests

The LID has owned 125 ha of upstream forests since the Edo Era
(1603-1868) and had managed until 1993, and then the
management was entrusted to the forestry cooperative. A
collaborative activity on education and publicity of the forestry.
Source: Prepared by Mr. Akihisa Nakano (MAFF) from various materials.
Note: Translated and summarised by the author.

The forestry
cooperative

Konomizo Miyazaki