Abstract
The Community-Led Farm Irrigation Management（CFIM） Project aims to maintain and strengthen the regional operation of regional irrigation facilities which have been established across Japan since the 1990s. Residents were involved in these projects from the planning phase, and the use, management, and maintenance of the space was essentially self-directed by them ; this was the crucial factor that fostered residentsʼ long-lasting attachment and devotion to the water environment improvement spaces. The first generation of residents is now in their 60s to 80s. In order to sustain the project into the future, the younger residents—the second generation, which is currently in their 30s to 50s—need to take over. The present study assessed the persistence of the CFIM Project introduced and then operated by the first generation of residents in Koura town, Shiga Prefecture since 1989. We assessed the structure of community developments directed by the residents, the use and management of irrigation facilities that were improved by each village, and the intention of the residents concerning ceding the project to the future generation. The results revealed remarkable differences across 13 villages concerning the current state and the future prospects of the projects, thereby leading to thirteen communities being classified into approximately two types based on these characteristics. Finally, how to support the sustainability of the project and how it should be ceded to the next generation were discussed.
