Future Perfect

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Save the Earth: sharing

Japan’s experience with the world

Shinya Ejima, Director General, Global Environment Department,

Japan International Cooperation Agency

he Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

has as its corporate vision the pursuit of inclusive and

dynamic development in order to achieve human security

for all people in the world. ‘Inclusive development’ represents

an approach that encourages all people to recognize the devel-

opment issues they themselves face, participate in addressing

them, and enjoy the fruits of such endeavours.

JICA’s goal is to provide effective backing for this process. ‘Dynamic

development’ refers to the creation of self-reinforcing virtuous cycles

of mid- to long-term economic growth and poverty reduction in a

constantly changing environment of developing countries where a

variety of issues arise simultaneously and become entangled with

one other. JICA will provide creative, highly effective support

towards this end, at times moving swiftly and at times acting from

the longer-term perspective as the situation demands. In accord-

ance with its vision, JICA supports the resolution of the issues

facing developing countries by using the most suitable tools and

assistance methods, along with a combined regional-, country- and

issue-oriented approach.

JICA assists and supports developing countries as the executing

agency of Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA). Since

joining the Colombo Plan in 1954, Japan has been providing finan-

cial and technical assistance to developing countries through ODA,

aiming to contribute to peace and development in the international

community and thereby help ensure Japan’s own security and prosper-

ity. JICA is in charge of administering most of ODA, such as technical

cooperation, ODA loans and grant aid, in an integrated manner, with

the exception of contributions to international organizations. As one

of the world’s largest bilateral aid agencies, JICA works in more than

150 countries and regions through some 100 overseas offices, and has

helped foster human resources, technology transfer and infrastruc-

ture development in various countries through technical cooperation.

JICA has also forged close relationships with the governments of

industrialized countries and international aid organizations aimed at

achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and resolving

global issues such as climate change.

There are many issues in the world that must be addressed not by

individual countries but by the international community. In dealing

with such issues, JICA’s Mission Statement has defined four priori-

ties for its cooperative operations:

• Addressing the global agenda

• Reducing poverty through equitable growth

• Improving governance

• Achieving human security.

JICA implements effective and efficient support for the

termination of the vicious cycle of poverty and environ-

mental destruction. In developing countries, a vicious

circle has occurred as the destruction of the environ-

ment, which is a basis for human life, causes the further

escalation of poverty. Each passing moment brings the

further destruction of the irreplaceable natural environ-

ment on which humanity depends, driving the need for

the creation of a sustainable society based on the concept

of harmony with the environment. JICA is implement-

ing cooperation widely for the conservation of the global

environment. Key initiatives focus on nature conser-

vation, environmental management, water resources,

disaster prevention and management, and climate

change. This paper focuses on nature conservation, envi-

ronmental management, and disaster prevention.

Nature conservation

JICA has carried out afforestation activities for forest

restoration in many countries in addition to collecting

forest data, formulating management plans and improv-

ing the lives of local residents. In order to eliminate the

vicious cycle of environmental deterioration and poverty,

and to promote the formulation of a society in harmony

with the environment, JICA provides cooperation on

nature conservation in the following three areas, with

the aim of facilitating harmony between the maintenance

of the natural environment and human activities.

Sustainable use of natural resources by local residents

In developing countries, many people use a variety of

natural resources in their daily lives. A steep rise in

population, however, has meant that the use of those

resources exceeds nature’s ability to recover, causing

the deterioration of the environment that supports

human life. Aiming to conserve nature and improve

living standards, JICA has provided assistance based

on local requirements, including those for sustainable

production, environmental restoration and conser-

vation activities, and worked to improve community

services through administration.

Conservation of biodiversity

Biodiversity sustains daily life in forms such as food,

clothing, medicine and wood products. However,

nvironment

air

water

oceans

climate

change