Japan's Ministry of the Environment Issues Guidance for Local Biodiversity Strategy

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The Ministry of the Environment (MOE) announced on October 1, 2009, that they issued the Guidance for Local Biodiversity Strategy, which is based on the Biodiversity Basic Law and the Third National Biodiversity Strategy of Japan. Public comments were taken into consideration in creating the Guidance, as 41 out of 65 such comments were reflected in the final Guidance.

The Guidance aims to facilitate a practical approach to biodiversity conservation primarily among local government officials in charge of taking specific actions. It describes the need for local biodiversity strategies and a framework for planning, promotion, and project management, as well as relevant methods.

The Guidance shows that extinction of species has been accelerated 1,000 times by humans in the last several hundred years, pointing out the importance of biodiversity. It further explains the need for regional strategies and promotion plans to address local, unique biodiversity issues, indicating that socioeconomic activities based on regional profile and in harmony with nature are expected to help invigorate communities.

As case studies, the Guidance lists the long-term scheme of biotope network in Shiga Prefecture formulated in 2008, and the approaches to white stork's eventual return to the wild in Toyooka city, Hyogo Prefecture, which biodiversity conservation has led to better local circumstances.

Towards Biodiversity Conservation in Japan No.72 (August 2008)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/mailmagazine/newsletter/pages/
027854.html

Posted: 2009/12/21 06:00:15 AM