This report discusses water use and aqueducts for paddy field developing rural areas, and considers methods of environmental improvement of watersides.
Brief contents of this reports are as follows;
1. In Japan, irrigation water and aqueducts have contributed to rural areas by means of three functions: rice productivity, environmental preservation, and welfare. However, in the modern ages after the Meiji Period, only the function of rice productivity has increased while other functions have receded. This has been caused by raising the yield and earningsfor rice production so it has become very important to improve aqueducts for increasing safety in water use.
2. If aqueducts and irrigation canal systems have been fundamentally harmonized with nature and land conditions, it may be possible to improve watersides by utilizing the above-mentioned functions. Its practical scheme is the “Improvement of Watersides with Greenbelts”. In this method, reasonable ideas utilizing accessible water and woods is especially important.
3. On the other hand, “Learning Existence of Regional Water” is indispensable in the development from water use to water accessibility. Moreover, in support of the above-mentioned learning, councils consisting of persons concerned with water, woods and inhabitants, should be organized. These councils should promote learning, make improvement plans and practice maintenance of aqueducts and greenbelts. In this process, it is importatiSto train engineers with traditional techniques and to secure land for green space.
