Establishment of the First Local Climate Change Adaptation Center in Tohoku

Date of interview	July 3, 2020
Establishing organization	Miyagi Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environment (Environmental Information Center)
Targets	Hidehiko Sato, Deputy Director-General, Miyagi Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environment Makiko Yokozeki, Researcher, Miyagi Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environment Yoichi Horigome, Chief Engineer, Global Warming Measures Group, Environmental Measures Division, Environment and Lifestyle Department, Miyagi Prefectural Government Akira Takahashi, Manager, Global Warming Measures Group, Environmental Measures Division, Environment and Lifestyle Department, Miyagi Prefectural Government

Background of establishment

Please tell us how the Miyagi Prefecture Climate Change Adaptation Center came to be established.

Mr. Takahashi: It was in 2019 when we first started the specific examinations for establishment of a Local Climate Change Adaptation Center in our prefecture. We considered various different methods for the establishment, and decided that it was best to establish the Local Climate Change Adaptation Center for our prefecture in the Institute of Public Health and Environment (the Environmental Information Center), which is the regional environmental institute in the prefecture, since they already had an established coordination/cooperation system with the National Institute for Environmental Studies in conducting tests, investigations, and research, and since they had established within the premises an organization called the Environmental Information Center to be responsible for collection and provision of information related to the environment.

Please tell us the main work the Institute of Public Health and Environment is responsible for.

Mr. Takahashi: The Institute of Public Health and Environment is an organization which conducts tests, investigations, and research in the fields of health and environment, including water quality surveys in public waters and constant monitoring of air pollutants. The Environmental Information Center plays an active role in collection and provision of information on the environment, including lending of books and DVDs on the environment, and holding of seminars for residents of the prefecture and classroom lectures for elementary school children in the summer.

Have you had cases observed in the prefecture that were impacted by climate change?

Mr. Sato: We have seen impacts as species of fish that were rarely seen in this region being caught in the fishery field, and various crops being affected in agriculture. There was a concern for sterility disorder in rice due to the high temperatures last summer. It will be an issue to be solved later whether we will take measures in management and cultivation methods or consider breed improvement, if the tendency for high temperatures continues in the future.

Mr. Takahashi: We also had little snow during the winter because it was too warm, which prevented many ski resorts from operating.

Mr. Horigome: Little snow also affects the water for agriculture. A possible impact is that the water levels in dams for agricultural use may decrease, and there may not be enough water in spring that the timing of planting would have to be delayed.

Efforts at the Miyagi Prefecture Climate Change Adaptation Center

What kind of work is the Climate Change Adaptation Center in Miyagi Prefecture responsible for?

Mr. Takahashi: We plan to hold seminars, symposiums, workshops, etc. on climate change for residents of the prefecture, in addition to collection and provision of information related to climate change in the fields of health and environment. In the future, we also hope to start investigation and research projects on climate change.

What is Miyagi Prefecture considering for the subcommittee theme in the “Wide-area Action Plan Formulation Project for Climate Change Adaptation” of the Ministry of the Environment?

Mr. Takahashi: We are planning to participate in Theme 2 “Adaptation to the changes in fish species and the number of fish coming to the area due to the rise in sea water temperature,” and Theme 3 “Adaptation of the life of the people in relation to the seasonal disturbances of organisms caused by climate change.” We plan to participate in Theme 2 because the fisheries divisions of our prefectural government are gravely concerned about climate change, and in Theme 3 because it is related to the roles of the Local Climate Change Adaptation Center.

Can you tell us about your future challenges and prospects?

Mr. Horigome: I feel as if the words adaptation and mitigation are too difficult to infiltrate the society. I hope to start gradually from making it common knowledge instead of digging deep into research.

Mr. Takahashi: It might be a good idea to have some kind of tool to help people understand the concepts of mitigation and adaptation.

Mr. Sato: The Institute of Public Health and Environment has conducted provision of information on environmental issues such as global warming and support for learning about the environment as operations of the Environmental Information Center since before the establishment of the Local Climate Change Adaptation Center. We hope to start providing information on climate change in addition to these operations.

Mr. Yokozeki: The Environmental Information Center provides support for learning about the environment as a part of its operations. In the future, I hope that we can provide support for learning with themes in climate change adaptation. While we still need to consider what kinds of text would be suitable, we hope to find creative measures in cooperation with the national Climate Change Adaptation Center.