The Global Desertification - The Situation, and the Challenges for Japan -
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5. Measures taken by the Government of Japan
As one of the developed country Parties of UNCCD, Japan is obliged to take responsibility for supporting developing countries affected by desertification to formulate and implement their national action programmes and strategies in order to combat desertification and to mitigate the effects of drought. Japan has to also contribute to facilitating the transfer of appropriate technologies.
Japan's main commitments are 1)financial contribution to the international institutions, 2)bilateral cooperation, and 3)cooperation at grassroots levels through supporting NGOs.
In secretariat and to other bodies within multinational environmental conventions; technical cooperation in water resource protection, forest conservation/afforestation, agricultural development, capacity building/education; research/survey work on desertification(support for CST); support for NGO activities(Grant Aid for Grass-Roots Groups, Global Environment Fund).
The Ministry of the Environment supports research institutions in Japan with the purpose of contributing to combat desertification from the scientific perspective.
A Pilot Study for Desertification Assessment and Establishment of an Early Warning System in North-East Asia
This research project was conducted in order to elucidate desertification mechanisms as these vary depending on different land conditions and use, to establish comprehensive models to explain desertification processes, to explain past desertification phenomena, and to suggest the most effective land use and ecosystem management programmes to prevent desertification.
At the 7th Committee of Science and Technology of UNCCD(CST 7)in Nairobi in 2005, and also at CST 8 in Madrid, Spain in 2007, the findings of this research were presented as a scientific and technical contribution to combat desertification.
Project leader: Dr. Kazuhiko Takeuchi, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Science, The University of Tokyo
Project period: 2004-2006(fiscal year)
COLUMN: ODA project to combat Desertification
Local residents learning how to read and write
Photo: Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences
From 1985 to 2000, Japan Green Resources Agency(integrated with Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences since 2008)conducted surveys in the Sahel for desertification prevention. Since 2000, JICA initiated a small-scale comprehensive activity programme*based on these findings. This programme, in which local participation played as important role, was conducted in the southern Segou district of the Republic of Mali.
*Small-scale comprehensive activity programme
This is a comprehensive rural development programme which is implemented in parallel with solving complex and interconnected problems such as desertification, poverty and gender inequality. The programme combines both the introduction of technology for afforestation, a long-term process, and small-scale activities which bring immediate improvements to local residents' livelihood.