The Problem and Considerations of Partnership Between Rural Communities for Rural Environment Conservation

A case Study of the T District in Toyooka city, Hyogo Prefecture

Abstract

The reorganization of regional community is an urgent issue in the rural areas of Japan, from a variety of social factors, such as the declining birthrate and differing opinions of rural residents. These factors have influenced the rural environment greatly. In this paper, I propose the unification of many small rural communities in order to create a combined resource network to be used in natural disasters and other issues that affect the overall area. Although ownership is separate, the right to use the facilities is shared. In addition, I observed the following effect while monitoring a partnership between rural communities: (1) changes in managing boundaries in rural communities, (2) changes in communication for conservation activities, (3) citizens become more open-minded to new experiences.