Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2023

Presentation information

[E] Oral

A (Atmospheric and Hydrospheric Sciences ) » A-HW Hydrology & Water Environment

[A-HW18] Material transportation and cycling at the land-sea interface: from headwaters to the ocean

Fri. May 26, 2023 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM 105 (International Conference Hall, Makuhari Messe)

convener:Takahiro Hosono(Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Kumamoto University), Syuhei Ban(The University of Shiga Prefecture), Mitsuyo Saito(Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University), Adina Paytan(University of California Santa Cruz), Chairperson:Mitsuyo Saito(Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University)


10:00 AM - 10:15 AM

[AHW18-05] Establishment of watershed governance based on participation and consensus for sustainable water resource use in subtropical Islands

*Jun Yasumoto1, Ryuichi Shinjo6, Kazutoshi Kinjo1, Soyo TAKAHASHI3, Bam Razafindrabe1, Tomochika Toguchi5, Yuko Yasumoto2, Yoshiaki Kubo4 (1.University of the Ryukyus, Faculty of Agriculuture, 2.Center for Strategic Research Projects, University of the Ryukyus, 3.Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, University of the Ryukyus, 4.Kwansei Gakuin University, 5.Okinawa International University, 6.Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN))

Keywords:Watershed Governance , Subtropical Islands, Participation and Consensus

Working on a joint project with Yaese Town in southern Okinawa Island, the authors raised the issue of watershed governance based on participation and consensus for sustainable water resource use in subtropical islands with limited land and water resources as a social issue.
The project focused around four interrelated items: (1) "visualization of scientific information," (2) "rational decision making based on accurate scientific information," (3) "revitalization of local communication through community-based participatory action research," and (4) "advancement of methodology and solutions using the PDCA cycle". It strives to solve social issues through dialogue and collaboration that cycles through the four items. In item 1) "Visualization of scientific information", regular surveys were conducted once a month for about two years based on the technical seeds accumulated by the members of Natural Science Group, calculate seasonal variations in the contribution rate of nitrogen loading sources of nitrate nitrogen in groundwater, and construct a three-dimensional water circulation simulation model to reproduce the flow of surface water and groundwater in Yaese Town. The model presented in this project for solving social issues surrounding the water cycle can be divided into two steps. The first step is to create a "visualization of the water cycle" tool based on scientific knowledge in order to gain understanding of the water cycle among residents, government, and other stakeholders. By analyzing the target area in detail, specific measures can be considered for the use and management of water resources. The second step is to make planned actions more cyclical and interrelated. The items to be considered are as follows: (1) Environmental education for the next generation and awareness-raising among local residents, (2) uncovering the history and local knowledge of water resource use, (3) analyzing the problem structure of the local water circulation system, and (4) creating a platform for sharing information.