2015 Volume 78 Issue 5 Pages 549-554
The Nature Restoration Project in Kushiro Wetland is a leading national project in Japan. Ten years have passed since the project was initiated according the general restoration plan, covering the entire river basins of the Kushiro Wetlands. The progress of the project was assessed and analyzed from the view-point of “adaptive management based on scientific data” and “cooperation among regional diversified actors and public involvement,” which are key principles in the Law for the Promotion of Nature Restoration. It was clarified that effective methods and procedures of adaptive management, such as scientific understanding of the current situations from a local to regional scale, passive restoration and a monitoring using reference sites have been established under the project. Also, extensive efforts to provide opportunities for discussion among diversified actors, as well as public involvement initiatives have been made. However, linkages between the project and local industries such as agriculture, forestry and tourism, are weak. For future steps, it is essential to find ways to further cooperation among diverse regional actors by putting emphasis on the people’s daily life and revitalization of the region as a whole.
