As a local government in the catchment area of Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan, Shiga Prefecture has attached i is policy priority to the “creation of the new culture”. This slogan implies: 1) to attach greater importance to regional environmental conservation, 2) to esteem climate and predecessors' endemic culture live with water and coexist with nature, and 3) to utulise those heritages for activation of local society towards 21st century.
As a part of such indigenous efforts, the Department of Public Works of Shiga Prefecture has been active in introducing unique administrative initiatives as exemplified by a) development of a four volume set of illustrated guideline manuals for environmental appraisal of mid- and small-scale works and b) introduction of a Natural Environment Advisor System.
This report introduces the contents of those trials as well as the concept and necessity for environmental consideration for public works by the practicing sector's own.
