Because of the rapid urbanization and financial difficulties in Asian developing countries, Public-Private-Participation is getting important year by year. PPP is expected not only to contribute for fund raising, but also to improve the efficiency of the management body. This study aims to compare the efficiency of publicly and privately water management by estimating DEA for a sample of water companies in Asia and Pacific region. The results show that service contracts improve efficiency of the company.

View full abstract

The purpose of this study, synthetic variable is led by using the multivariate analysis of the water quality of the water service classified into the taste about water service where the tap water source depends on the surface water of the river. Secondly, the actual condition of the water service beneficiary in four points is investigated in Tonegawa water system from the upper stream to the down stream region. The relation between a consideration evaluation value and a synthetic variable of investigation of actual conditions is verified. It proposes beneficiary's evaluation technique.

View full abstract

After Nakhdoka oil spill accident that was happened in 1997, 74 monitoring points have been set to observe fate of oil stranded on the beach. Life time of oil has been investigated at every study site under same surveying method. At first, attenuation was expected to be depending on NOAA's shoreline ESI ranking, but discrepancy was observed in some artificially sheltered beaches. Then, seven simplified criteria have been set to estimate length of attenuation by using quantification theory type I. They are roughness of the surface of the sediment, existence of sheltering rocks, width between backshore and foreshore, existence of manmade wave cutting structure, inclination of the beach and amount of marine debris stranded on the beach. As a result, high correlation coefficient (R²=0.70) was obtained. This result will contribute to create more reliable and easy shoreline classification.

View full abstract

This study proposes a methodology for assessing social capacity for environmental management (SCEM) which contributes to urban air quality improvement by identifying the actors and factors constituting the social capacity explicitly. To do so, a structural equation model is applied to estimate the effects of social actors (i.e., government, firms, and citizens) and factors (i.e., policy & measure, resource management and knowledge & technology) to urban air quality management in 5 major cities in Japan. Using a panel data set for years between 1971 and 2000, a new evaluation method for capacity development is proposed called as "Actor-Factor Matrix evaluation".

View full abstract

In this research, We tried the integration of three information systems called a Mobile-Phone with GPS, Web-GIS, and BBS, as the means that excavates various resources in a short time and enable the exchange between the area in the remote place. As the result, the area information of 346 points gathered in a day. From this case, we understood that Mobile Phone with GPS is effective as tool that collects information. Moreover, we clarified that in the exchange between regions of sharing the map and the photograph by WEB-GIS, Children discover the charm in another region, and rediscover the charm in his region relatively through a comparison and a common experience of play in four regions.

View full abstract

Recently, information literacy is important because it is independently and healthily related with the information environment to which the influence power to the society increases. On the other hand, reading promotion is seen as a social trend. However, hardly found is a current state in the early research that verifies the relation between information literacy and the reading ability. Then, we set up the following theoretical hypothesis; the reading ability improves information literacy, and as a result, QOL is improved further. The investigation was executed for information science university students, and the covariance structure analysis was mainly analyzed, and as a consequence the hypothesis was verified. Therefore reading ability was suggested that it was useful, and the importance increase in addition in the information society in the future.

View full abstract

We set up the following theoretical hypothesis that has never been studied so far; persons with reading much good book and getting much exercise show a tendency for Virtual-Space-Centered(VSC) to be less and the quality of life (QOL) to be high. It was investigated and analyzed statistically based on questionnaire surveys of university students in the information sciences, and the hypothesis was analyzed by the covariance structure analysis. As a result, the hypothesis was verified enough. Therefore, it seems reasonable to conclude that daily the reading much good book and getting exercise can be expected as precautions of the VSC and the measures of the QOL improving.

View full abstract

The objective of this study is to propose the way of providing the spatial data and its management. Due to the advancement and diversification of the spatial data, this paper points out the necessities of providing and managing the pre-processed data suitable for user-needs. Furthermore, we have been tackled to construct the system for providing and managing the pre-processed data, and to investigate the practical use of those with soft computing technology. Based on the unitary management of the data sets according to the area that a user hopes for, the improvement of the work effectiveness in applying the data sets could be achieved. Such a new approach might be essential to promote the spatial data.

View full abstract

The objective of this study is to clarify the effect of the structure under canopy on the hyperspectal imagery. Research site was row of the tree Prunus × yedoensis in Rissho University. The difference of spectrum between pixels was examined by the principal component analysis. The result of the principal component analysis on the reflectance showed that the influence of the shadow appeared and the influence of the surface under the crown did not detect. The result of the principal component analysis on the second differential absorbance showed that the influence of surface under the crown was able to be detected from the hyperpectral image without receiving influence of the shadow.

View full abstract

Fruit damage by stink bugs on orchards began to occur nationwide since the 1970's. In Wakayama Prefecture, persimmons and peaches have been hurt the most. In this study, a map was made for illustrating the possibility for damage at the basin of Kinokawa River. First, land cover was classified on a map based on satellite images. The cedar and cypress forest were classified and paired with the land cover map layer. In addition, maps for predicting damage levels were established based on the rule that orchards within a shorter distance from cedar and cypress forest have high relationship with greater damage by stink bug.

View full abstract

In existing desertification monitoring, a decrease in biomass is considered an indicator of desertification, although biomass does not necessarily decrease in the progress of desertification. In this study, we conducted desertification monitoring using the patterns of vegetation index along grazing gradients (NDVI spatial patterns hereafter) in a Mongolian arid and semi-arid region. Our results indicated that NDVI spatial patterns could distinguish different responses among different physiognomic vegetations, such as a gradual increase pattern in shrubland and a prominent pattern in grassland. We could also identify the progress of desertification by comparing NDVI spatial patterns in 1991 and in 2004.

View full abstract

In this study, we tried to grasp the defoliation pattern of the typical broad-leaved tree which is dominant in Tama Forest Science Garden. We used the time-series crown height data based on the airborne laser scanner data obtained during the defoliation period. As a result, it was proven that Prunus yedoensis, Magnolia obovata and Juglans mandshurica had quickly shed leaves in the early fall. On the other hand, the time in which Zelkova serrata, Quercus serrata and Quercus acutissima shed leaves was late, and there was the different defoliation pattern. In the future, the improvement of the tree species identification technique which used the seasonal leaf color change information jointly with defoliation pattern information is considered from these results.

View full abstract

Some satellite images were analyzed in order to investigate the change of the wetland vegetation in Sarobetsu mire, Hokkaido where Sasa sp., non-wetland vegetation, is invading into wetland due to lowered water level by drainage near surroundings. Using GPS measurement, we confirmed that Sasa sp. is still moving gradually toward the center of the wetland where peat accumulation is dominated by sphagnum. We focused attention on spectral reflectance of mixed area which is defined as the area between Sasa sp. invading front and the border line between sphagnum and Sasa sp. area in the classified ground cover image from satellite data. It was found that by extracting the area which has similar spectral reflectance as the mixed area, we can extract anomalous vegetation areas from the sphagnum dominated wetland.

View full abstract

There are serious land degradations caused by overgrazing in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Regional planning to preserve the plateau ecosystem is urgently needed. This study estimates grazing pressure considering the geographical heterogeneity of pasture productivity and grazing intensity using MODIS images and SRTM DEM. A case study in Maduo Xian, Qinghai Province shows the accessible lands are limited. At the accessible land, grazing activities are notably intense and grazing pressure is high. Additionally, this study shows that the extent of overgrazing is huge in comparison with accessible lands although the actual area is small. This knowledge will assist to make plans for the land conservation.

View full abstract

The urban park performs various roles such as evacuation, scenery and the ecosystem as well as a playground of regional inhabitants. In this study, selection of urban parks location was carried out using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and Satellite Remote Sensing in hillside city Nagasaki, where urban park area per capita is below national average. The proposed sites of new urban parks were selected from attribute data including existing park, population, slope distance from evacuation and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index). Additionally, land cost was calculated from land price for using as one of the methods for selecting the location of city parks.

View full abstract

In recent years, the people living in a rural urban area, such as Morioka city, tend to move out from the central urban area to the suburbs. The relationship between central urban area and suburbs should be reconsidered for coordinating the urban spatial structure in the future. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the transportation needs in suburb areas based on questionnaire surveys. We choose and compared two suburbs areas from the viewpoint of transportation environment, such as the influence of winter snowfall and transit bus availability.

View full abstract

A social acceptance is indispensable for the diffusion of a fuel cell vehicle expected as an escape oil plan. Therefore, it is necessary to do the enlightening activities in consideration of the factor to improve a social acceptance. Then, the form and offer information on current educational activities were understood in this research. Moreover, the questionnaire survey was done, and the attitude formation factor was clarified by the AHP analysis. From this result it was clarified that enlightening activities of a passive firsthand type was not done enough and information on the safety and the economy was hardly being offered, and that there is a possibility of becoming affirmative for the spread of FCV when FCV is acknowledged and non-promotion was recognizing that the safety of other technologies is better than that of FCV.

View full abstract

The purpose of this paper is to develop the evaluation method of the mobility on bicycle in daily use, and to apply to some empirical data. We simulate bike riding on computer. Our simulation model includes three control characteristics: rider, bike, and road. We set the following two criteria: time, and physical load, and a simple method to evaluate route choice is proposed. We used the cycle computer to collect data.

View full abstract

This research aims to design the conception for an integrated management system for environmental management and risk management in Hamamatsu campus, Shizuoka University by using Soft Systems Methodology. Firstly, the current status in the campus was investigated. Secondly, an ideal management system for the campus was designed with reference to existing management systems. Finally the integrated management system for Hamamatsu campus was developed from comparison between the current status of the campus and the ideal management system. As a result, insufficient matters to be improved were clarified.

View full abstract

The objective of this study was to elucidate with a questionnaire survey and social network analysis how the social network (SNW) of Web site called "Lake Biwa Citizen Research Center" has expanded. The center aims at developing SNWs for building social capital. As a result, it was revealed that SNW expansions of limited number of answerers were remarkable while SNWs of all answerers had also expanded after their participation in the site, and that the entire SNW had been densified through active roles of the limited number of answerers in going between other members of the site.

View full abstract

This study aimed to develop a scale that adequately and concisely measure social capital in Japanese communities. The data used in this study was 4939 representative samples living in 181 settlements in A city, Kyoto prefecture. We composed a scale (Integrated Social Capital Index) based on 6 questions made by examples from World Bank, ONS in U.K., and Cabinet Office in Japan. In order to assess the reliability of ISCI, we calculated the Cronbach α (0.82). A significant linkage between ISCI and the conclusions of agreement in settlements to Direct Payment System in Hilly and Mountainous Area (odds ratio 3.21, p=0.01) in a logistic regression suggests the high criterion-related validity of ISCI.

View full abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the information needs of residents for communication needs for incineration facility construction by using of the public opinion data submitted to EIS in Seoul City. It shows the importance of dissemination of fair and transparent information communication among residents to the waste management basic plan. It is also found that the communication with residents at the early stage will help smooth implementation of the construction work.

View full abstract

This paper discusses virtual environmental valube of waste treatment service such as conservation of city's landscape, life environment and natural resources in a municipal waste management of local government. Although the management offers these services treating municipal waste, these ones were not properly evaluated in conventional management evaluation. In this study, these ones were evaluated by conjoint analysis as one of the valuated evaluation method. This method was applied to citizen of Nagoya city as a questionnaire. Then, value of services that citizen is thinking was evaluated.

View full abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify factors that affect waste reduction through evaluating municipal solid wastes management (MSWM) activities on the basis of the survey results on community participation. Therefore, two different types of questionnaire covering all municipalities throughout Japan were carried out with a view to ascertaining the current MSWM practices as well as the state of the art of community participation in around MSWM projects. An attempt was made to identify the linkages between MSWM projects and waste reduction on the basis of the survey data, and then an analysis using the quantification method Ⅱ was carried out to see the extent to which various types of community participation activities contribute to waste reduction. As a result, the study has found that those community activities that promote zero-emission and ISO14001-based EMS certification are identified as factors affecting waste reduction.

View full abstract

This study aims to examine the relationship between regional economic structure and industrial waste discharge in Japan. The study employs regional input-output tables and statistics of solid waste from industrial sectors published by the Japanese government for years 1990, 1995 and 2000. The findings have revealed that livestock, construction and food industries were major sources of industrial waste in Japan. Furthermore, livestock and food industries showed increases in induced industrial waste and a decline in environmental efficiency. The results imply that measures on the reduction of industrial wastes should consider determinant factors of each industrial waste.

View full abstract

Egypt faces the environmental problems such as air pollution, water pollution, and solid waste treatment. The environmental legislation and the environmental administrative organizations have developed so far, and Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) is going to raise the environmental policies. It will be the tasks for Egypt to observe and enforce the environmental regulations. EEAA and governorates that have roles to cooperate with EEAA have to gain the technical staffs and the experts of the environment and to increase officers and make them qualified. In addition, another task to develop the environmental policies is to raise awareness for the environment among citizens and enterprises, and to compile and disclose the environmental information. Egypt is the central country in the Middle-East and African countries, and the Japan's environmental cooperation project going on is very important.

View full abstract

Local environment tax is imposed in some prefectures of Japan, for example, such as "Forest environment tax" in Kochi prefecture in 2003, and "Okayama Mori-dukuri Prefectural Tax" in Okayama prefecture in 2004. And other local governments are looking into the introduction of the taxation in recent years. The aim of this study is to analyze effects of introduction of local environment tax in Ibaraki prefecture. Ibaraki prefectural government makes a levy on residents as a tax that a local government may implement for a particular purpose, and the tax revenue is utilized for water environmental measures, which are construction of sewage system, installation of combined treatment septic tank, promotion of agriculture of environmental conservation type, etc. As a result of simulation analysis, local environment tax has changed expense for water environmental measures, and could reduce water pollutant inflow maintaining 1% regional economic growth.

View full abstract

In China, the environmental policies have developed mainly under the leadership of the national government since 1970's. Local governments, following the national government, have enacted many ordinances and have established their administrative sections for the environment based on the Constitution and the environmental laws. However, their measures have been implemented in a frame of the national policies basically. In future, we think that it is necessary to introduce positive measures based on each local characteristic, to raise cooperative relationships among districts for problems over many areas and then to build new relations between the national government and the local governments. In addition, we think that it is more desirable the well economically developed local governments play a leading role in consideration of the present state of the economic differences among districts.

View full abstract

Importance of adaptation as a strategy to cope with climate change impact has been recognized much more than before in these several years. There are needs for bridging the gap between policy-makers and researchers who focus on impact of, and adaptation to, climate change. This article summarizes concepts of adaptation and adaptive capacity in IPCC TAR, overviews researches relevant to adaptation policies, introduces treatments of adaptation in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto protocol, and shows the needs of policy-makers for getting information that is needed for developing adaptation policy at international level. Finally it presents the elements of researches on adaptation to climate change for supporting policy-making.

View full abstract

This research aims to estimating the amount of five kinds of renewable energy resource potential by same method in all municipalities in Japan and selecting adequate municipalities. All-Japan potential in total adequate municipalities is 571 PJ. Analyzing potential amount is divided by areas; on solar and waste over half potential are occupied by big and middle cities. On the other hand on wind, forest and agriculture biomass are almost occupied by little towns. Furthermore solar and waste adequate municipalities are located on three metropolitan areas, wind locates in Hokkaido, Tohoku and Okinawa, forest and agriculture biomass locate in wide distribution.

View full abstract

It is difficult for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to take external temporal response into consideration and to display the detailed result comprehensively. In this paper, we proposed the assessment framework using Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) and Life Cycle Simulation (LCS) to implement the time series analysis. With the proposed framework, we tried to express a structural change for 50 years about treatment and recycling of the organic waste that derived from house-hold eating in Kitakyushu city. 3 cases were expressed with performance index involving material flow and environmental load.

View full abstract

In the plan for construction of obnoxious facilities, it is often seen that the antagonism between the administration in charge of planning and the local residents occurs. In this paper, we investigated the objective, reasonable and scientific method of site selection for waste incinerator by which the degree of the decision risk and the tradeoff in decision making can be considered using the multicriteria evaluation which contains the weighted linear combination and the ordered weighted averaging in geographical information system through a case of waste incinerator in Nagano City. As a result, it was found that the method of site selection for waste incinerator by means of the multicriteria evaluation under proper constraints and factors was useful as a means to offer information in order to attempt the consensus building among the various interest groups.

View full abstract

To explore the feasibility of recycling of sanitary chinaware waste, the generation amount of sanitary chinaware wastes from 2003 to 2020 in Kitakyushu was predicted and the cost and LCCO₂ for separating and recycling was assessed in this paper. The generation amounts of sanitary chinaware wastes were separately estimated by source from dismantlement of wasted building and source from extension and redecorating of existing buildings. Probabilistic assessment for separating and recycling was executed based on the following assumptions: generation rate of sanitary chinaware waste is 40tons per month; separating and recycling facility locates in Wakamatsu-ku; recycling products are aggregate of concrete, permeable block and mixture material for plastic.

View full abstract

This paper discusses the current situation and evaluation of ordinance for global warming provision in the local government. The global warming provision was previously described in the abstract of "The Basic Environment Ordinance". After 2000, some local governments described the individual policy on this provision in "Ordinance for Environmental Preservation". In recent years, few local governments have enacted an integrated ordinance that specializes in this provision. It is expected that the global warming provision will be treated as an important political task along with its activation by the enacted ordinance for global warming provision in the local governments that enacted the ordinance.

View full abstract

The purposes of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) are to assist developing countries in achieving sustainable development, while to allow developed countries to achieve the goal of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by implementing projects. However, first objective receives less concern. This paper examined successful elements of the CDM national institution to promote projects that contribute to sustainable development, based on lessons learned from the Activities Implemented Jointly (AIJ). The findings are: (1) National CDM office, constituted by government, NGO and private sector, has the function of project approval and development promotion, (2) CDM criteria require definition of sustainable development in each developing country's context, and develop criteria based on sustainable development strategy, (3) Governmental initiatives, such as legal and policy frameworks, are required to achieve national sustainable development by utilizing CDM.

View full abstract

This study analyzesa greenhouse gases emission trading schemes framework for the example of the UK emission trading market, using a credit risk management method. We replace a market with one portfolio based on trading data, and then quantify the credit risk of the portfolio. We also analyze the changes that occur in the portfolio as a result of a change in the number of seller companies. We find the risk to increase for a portfolio which a seller concentrated on, and the Credit Risk VaR to decrease when a seller disperses. We analyzes a GHG emission trading framework based on these investigations. An allocation scheme in which each participant has a equal amount reduces the overall risk of the trading system.

View full abstract

The Kyoto Protocol, which is currently the only international agreement to mitigate climate change, sets greenhouse gas (GHG) emission limitation targets for developed countries (Annex I countries) for years between 2008-2012, but any targets for years beyond is to be determined in the next round of negotiation. It is considered that the U.S. and the developing countries, those countries that do not currently face emission limitation commitments, should be included in the future framework, and many proposals are being proposed for that purpose. The aim of this study is to use the scenario planning approach to assess those existing proposals, and to develop its own proposals for the future international framework to mitigate climate change.

View full abstract

This paper aims to (1)evaluate five types of biofuels policy instruments based on three evaluation criteria(cost burden, cost effectiveness, and cost efficiency), and (2)evaluate fuel tax incentives which is the most important among five policy instruments in EU and Germany. It is concluded that fuel tax incentives implement quite easily due to less administrative costs and stimulate huge biofuels production. However increasing of biofuels production causes serious tax revenue shortage. Thus the fuel tax incentives are plan to change to a quota obligation in some EU countries, like UK and Germany.

View full abstract

This paper examined the estimation of biomass resource quantity using object-oriented and pixel-based land classification methods. The study was based on five Terra/ASTER images covering various land cover types in Thailand. The biomass quantity was estimated from the area of the classified land covers and compared with agricultural statistics and land-use maps. The results showed the capabilities of the land classification approaches in providing information to estimate biomass quantity and distribution.

View full abstract