Environmental Value Assessment of Historical Irrigation Canals in Urbanized Areas: The case of Tenguiwa Irrigation Canal in Maebashi

Abstract

Irrigation canals have multilateral functions and the connection with an area which has developed in the long history of water utilization. However, they were lost by urbanization or the change of social structure. In recent years, there is a trend which re-evaluates the environment of historic canal in community developed, but it is not utilized so much, because it has special problems like water rights or management. The purpose of this study is to clarify the value that historic channel is placed now, and to consider the method for preservation and utilization of historic channel in community development by the case study, focusing on its characteristics. The results are as follows: (1) Older generations highly evaluated the cultural values of canals. (2) It seems that man have a will to pay higher for environmental preservation of canals than woman by analysis by price sensitivity measurement method. People living in Soja more than 30 years have also a will to pay higher for that than people living in there under 30 years. (3) Difference in evaluation of the history and the local community suggest relating to the amount of money of payment for environmental preservation of canals.