The world's cities are always sustained by their hinterlands. The close relations between an urban area and its hinterland were examined through the surface runoff and groundwater phenomena in Matsumoto, Japan.
The hinterlands of Matsumoto are the gigantic mountain ecosystems such as the Chushin Heights and the Japan Northern Alps where many rivers originate to flow through the central part of Matsumoto.
A spell of rain causes muddy floods to hit the city, which standing on a composite alluvial fan, and a spell of drought turns the surface water into underflow. The surface flows have not contributed much to the promotion of the welfare of the citizens of Matsumoto owing to their violent and capricious characteristics. Moreover, none of the rivers flowing through Matsumoto has the capacity to pass the design flood discharge safely downstream. This phenomenon is mainly due to the steepness of the topography. In addition to this, imprudent human activities in the hinterlands have exacerbated the situation.
From the hinterlands, abundant groundwater is also supplied to Matsumoto, which lies in the bottom of a mountain basin, and the prosperity of the city owes so much to the moderate groundwater that it is called “Mother Groundwater”. Recently, however, the groundwater has been declining in quantity owing to the expanding needs of industries and the growing population.
A simulation analysis of the groundwater flow was attempted to obtain some guiding principles for rational groundwater use in this area. In addition, research on the actual condition of the groundwater use was carried out. The results show that both the intensive agriculture and the industries at the outskirts of the city have to be very alert to the water pollution caused by their activities because the flow vectors of groundwater point always to the urban area from the hinterlands.
We must not lose sight of the significance of the phrase “Mother Groundwater”. The conservative uses of the hinterlands are vitally essential to the prosperity of Matsumoto.

抄録全体を表示

Since its establishment in 1966, the Asian Development Bank has been tackling the challenging tasks in agriculture and irrigation development with a view to meeting the objectives of its developing member countries (DMCs) in augmenting agricultural production, raising the living conditions of the rural poor and helping to achieve national economic development. By the end of 1984, the Bank had made considerable investment in irrigation development spread over 14 DMCs. The approved loan amount in the sector is equivalent to approximately 14% of the Bank's cumulative lending in its 18 years of operation; it is, thus, a highly prioritized sector of the Bank's lending. This paper reviews the Bank's lending priorities and strategy for the agriculture and irrigation sector. The cycle of project processing and implementation for a typical loan project is illustrated. While many of the Bank's recipient DMCs have achieved remarkable successes in imple menting irrigation projects and in realizing envisaged project goals during the past two decades, there still remain further challenging tasks for both the Bank and the DMCs.
These include, inter alia, paying more attention to project implementation, streng thening institutional capability and manpower expansion, encouraging involvement of beneficiary farmers, raising the efficiency of existing irrigation facilities and improving operation and maintenance (O&M) activities, research and technology development for crop diversification and rainfed agriculture, and appropriate approaches to manageable multidisciplinary rural development projects.

抄録全体を表示

In Bavaria, approximately 1, 900 procedures under the Land Consolidation Act are being carried out constantly, covering some 1.4 million hectares; this means that 20% of the Bavarian territory is always under land consolidation. No village renewal without land consolidation and, if possible, no land consolidation without village renewal-in Bavaria the two are closely linked.
In Bavaria, the possibilities offered by law for the restructuring of land consolidation areas are intensively used in order to provide as comprehensive support as possible to the rural areas. The complexity, the difficulty and the problems of the restructuring tasks require a thorough co-ordination of all land planning and technical, chronological and financial procedures. Land consolidation, therefore, needs the co-operation of all parties concerned.
The tasks of Bavarian land consolidation include support to agriculture and forestry by means of the traditional measures of land consolidation, (e.g. consolidation and construction of roads) village renewal, release of land for building development, landscape planning, land consolidation measures aiming at large-scale provisions of land for projects of public interest, procedures in areas with special crops such as vine, hops, asparagus, vegetables or fruit as well as land consolidation measures for alpine pasture and woodland areas. The intermediate acquisition of land (annually nearly 1, 500hectares for the sum of 63.8 million DM) and the necessary public relations and information work must also be stressed.
Priority areas are outlined in the Regional Development Programme for Bavaria, amended May 3, 1984. Thus, land consolidation, reaching far beyond its engagement in agricultural policies, is and will continue to be a socio-political task of great importance.

抄録全体を表示