Urban Development with Utilization of Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR)

Date of interview	September 14, 2020
Target	Professor Futoshi Nakamura, Ecosystem Management Group, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University

Professor Nakamura, please tell us about your research at the Ecosystem Management Group, Hokkaido University.

My research themes are roughly classified into three categories, which are “sustainable utilization of natural resources,” “conservation of biodiversity,” and “regeneration of ecosystems.” I will describe some specific cases I work on. First is a study on the differences in biota between the rivers whose water temperatures increase as the atmospheric temperature increases and the spring water rivers which are less affected by the changes in atmospheric temperature. I explore deeply into the significance of having spring water rivers and normal rivers in the basin through not just changes in fish but also changes in the food chain caused by the changes in the amount of emerging insects in each season, etc.
Another study is about green infrastructure. Abandoned farmlands are increasing in the northern and eastern regions of Hokkaido as population decreases, and wetland vegetation that had been lost is starting to come back as a result. I conduct verification on how to use the abandoned lands that would contribute to disaster prevention based on the changes in ecosystem including birds as well as the local economy that occur due to this change.

Can you tell us about the Eco-DRR efforts in Japan?

One of the model cases I was involved in is the Maizuru Retarding Basin. The Ishikari River flows into the Sea of Japan after the water from the Chitose River merges with it. The retarding basin stores the water temporarily when the water level in the Ishikari River is high, and discharges it once the water level falls. Although it was established as a measure against flooding, it eventually became a large wetland, where the ecosystem that had been lost recovered, and where we observed successful breeding of Japanese crane. It was found that the retarding basin also functioned as a site for Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECM).
In the case of Hokkaido heavy rain in 2016, we were able to avoid considerable damages because the Kushiro Marsh absorbed the water temporarily and prevented the water levels from rising in the rivers. While it is an extremely important area for conservation of biodiversity, it also functions as ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR), and this case seemed to have provided an opportunity for the local residents to understand the importance of the Kushiro Marsh.

Please tell us about the resources that are necessary for the municipalities and Local Climate Change Adaptation Centers in promoting Eco-DRR, etc. under the circumstances of climate change and population decrease, and any creative efforts.

Regarding disasters that occur with climate change as a contributing factor, we need to think about how we accept them into our daily life. If we consider the exit of adaptation measures as improvement in our Quality of Life (QOL), I think it is more appropriate to first specify the purpose “what kind of community do we wish to achieve?,” and consider the adaptation measures necessary for the community by backcasting, although it is also important to construct dams and widen the rivers.
Urban areas rarely have the choice to let the wetland absorb the water and avoid damage in case the rivers flood, because they do not have the land to create wetlands. However, it is possible to achieve rainwater permeation and storage on roofs, etc. We need to first consider the area, and discuss with various stakeholders the key industries, population, and the issues that the community faces. I think it is important, for example, to clarify what will be the biggest trouble if flooding occurred in this community, and consider the adaptation measures along with regional development.

Will such discussions occur spontaneously?

While I assume it is possible to start from subsidized projects, I expect that such projects will have certain purposes, such as certification as a model region for biodiversity or biomass energy. That would make the discussion targeted on certain things, and it may not function well in the end. Just as we see a rectangle when we observe a glass from the side and a circle when we observe it from above, seeing things only from one direction and fitting it to an area when there are various different aspects will make the entire area stilted. I am sure that the local residents would think “a topic that is no business of mine is being discussed.” I believe it is important in promotion of Eco-DRR, etc. to make sure that everyone makes it their own business. The degree of attention on this problem must be quite high at present, when disasters occur frequently. However, the discussion is solely centered on “how to mitigate the damages.” We should run the society and economy while utilizing the location during normal time in addition to making it the safety valve in case of a disaster, and I believe it is possible.

What gives you the sense of satisfaction and motivation for working on the issues as a national university research institute?

I find joy in research that is similar in some sense to opening a location that has been closed for some time. I think it is also my motivation, but it also gets me frustrated sometimes. It takes a considerable amount of time until we get the results on how well the methods work when we work in nature restoration. Meanwhile, I always want to show successful case examples. I honestly could not believe it when Japanese cranes came to the Maizuru Retarding Basin. It made me really happy to think that the cranes find it once we make a place like this. How we can connect society and economy with natural environment. I feel this is the greatest responsibility for me at present. Since ordinariness and how well society and economy operate are two sides of one coin, I hope to contribute to the solution of various issues so that they operate smoothly.