Water for people.pdf - WHO Thailand Digital Repository

4 9 0 / P I L O T C A S E S T U D I E S : A F O C U S O N R E A L - W O R L D E X A M P L E SGreater Tokyo, JapanTable 22.2: Water governance in JapanAffair Organization Sub-section Main lawsWater supply Ministry of Health, Water Supply Division, Waterworks LawLabour and Welfare Health Service Bureau Law on Execution of Preservation Project of Water for Water SupplyWater use for Ministry of Rural Development Bureau Land Improvement ActagricultureAgriculture, ForestryWater conservation and Fisheries Forestry Agency Forest LawforestIndustrial water supply Ministry of Industrial Facilities Division, Industrial Water LawEconomy, Trade Economic and Industrial Industrial Water Supply Business Lawand IndustryPolicy BureauHydropower Agency of Natural Resources Electric Power Development Promotion Lawand EnergySewerage Ministry of Land, Sewerage and Wastewater Sewerage LawInfrastructure and Management Department,TransportCity and RegionalDevelopment BureauRivers, water resource River Bureau River LawfacilitiesSpecified Multipurpose Dams LawComprehensive and Water Resources Water Resources Development Promotion Lawbasic policies for water Department, Land and Water Resources Development Publicsupply and demand, Water Bureau Corporation Lawreservoir areaLaw Concerning Special Measures forReservoir AreasWater quality, Ministry of the Water Environment The Basic Environment Lawenvironmental Environment Department, Environmental Water Pollution Control LawconservationManagement Bureauthe permission systems of the past (Water Use Coordination Sub-Division, Water Administration Division, River Bureau, MLIT, 1995).Developing water resourcesWater resource policies should be carefully promoted from a longtermand comprehensive viewpoint. The new ‘National ComprehensiveWater Resources Plan’ (‘Water Plan 21’) clarifying the basic directionfor the development, conservation and utilization of water resourceswas settled on in June 1999. This plan provides guidelines forexamining various measures concerning water resources for the targetyears of 2010 through 2015, forecasting water supply and demandfor that period. It cites measures against disasters such as the 1995Hyogoken-Nambu earthquake, as well as the development of policiesfor conservation of and improvement in the water environment, andfor the restoration and nurturing of water-related culture (NationalLand Agency, 1999). Under the national plan, basic plans for waterresources development are established in major river basins, their aimbeing to reach a water volume of about 258 cubic metres per second(m 3 /s) in the Tonegawa and Arakawa Rivers. In 2001, 64 percent ofthis target had been achieved (Water Resources Department, MLIT,2001), but more is still needed to meet prospective water demand.Dams are one of the major tools for water resourcedevelopment: meeting the demand through river and groundwaterintake alone became impossible. As previously mentioned, dams arebuilt for several purposes including household water supply,industrial and agricultural water use, electricity generation and floodcontrol. In April 2001, after improving the water resourcesdevelopment facilities, the total water storage capacity reachedabout 2.5 bm 3 (Japan Dam Foundation, 2002).Compensation measures for upstream inhabitantsBefore proceeding with the construction of water resourcedevelopment facilities such as dams, it is important to reach anarrangement with inhabitants in reservoir areas that may suffersignificant effects as a result of dam construction. Various measureswere designed to mitigate negative effects suffered in reservoirareas and invigorate local communities, and a Law ConcerningSpecial Measures for Reservoir Areas has been created for thispurpose (Water Resources Department, MLIT, 2001).