Abstract
This study attempts to understand and examine distribution of irrigation ponds intensively existed in Chita peninsula and their present natural environment. I surveyed 267 irrigation ponds distributed over Handa City and Agui Town, central Chita peninsula, checking their existence, land use around them, and the rate of embankment protection. The result is as follows. More than 20% of ponds had already disappeared in the past 4 years, and 60% the present ponds had lost their irrigation area. Almost all ponds are very small scale, and private owner possesses 70% of them. So they are afraid to be abandoned. The environment around the ponds has been changing drastically the traditional “forest-grassland-paddy field” are now in a bad state from the viewpoint of biotope. However, a few ponds left in traditional Countryside area (Satoyama) are in a good state, so they need to be protected.
