Embodying an adaptation measure package! Integrated promotion of environment and energy policies and global warming prevention strategies

Nagano Prefecture formulated “Nagano Prefecture Environment and Energy Strategies -- The Third Nagano Citizens' Plan for Global Warming Prevention” in FY 2013. Aiming at integrated promotion of the energy policy and global warming countermeasures, the prefecture defined the “adaptation measure package” to establish a climate change monitoring system and a platform during the plan term. We interviewed Junko Matsumoto, Deputy Director of the Environment and Energy Section, Environment Department (also serving as Global Warming Strategy Manager); Kazunori Yanagisawa, Staff at the section; and Takashi Hamada, Senior Researcher at the Nagano Environmental Conservation Research Institute. We asked them about the efforts they made to establish a system for grasping climate change impacts in the region and providing information to the prefectural citizens promptly.

Defining the adaptation measure package as part of the prefecture’s environment and energy strategies

Nagano Prefecture formulated the “Nagano Prefecture Environment and Energy Strategies -- The Third Nagano Citizens' Plan for Global Warming Prevention” in FY 2013 and highlighted the necessity of adaptation measures ahead of other prefectures. How did you develop the strategies in individual department?

Matsumoto: Prior to the establishment of the environment and energy strategies, the Environment Department reviewed all the past global warming countermeasure and set up a review committee for discussing effective policies with a long-term vision in FY 2012. The commission was divided into subcommittees according to fields. One of the fields was adaptation measures. The adaptation measure package (Figure) was compiled through discussions with the task force at the subcommittee meetings. The package clearly states the necessity of the establishment of a monitoring system and a platform for communication with the prefectural citizens. We believe that including this package in the environment and energy strategies has led to the specific course of action to accomplish the goal within the plan term.

As it was the prefecture’s principles to be committed to tackling the prefecture’s energy policy, we worked to strengthen the organizational capacity of the Environment Department while asking outside experts for help. That, I believe, is one of the factors leading to the in-depth discussions. We could do such in-depth discussions while climate change adaptation was not known as well as it is today. We could do it owning to our experience of participating in the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund in Strategic Research and Development Area (S-8) in 2010.

Hamada: Our research institute started studies on climate change in the region in FY 2003. As a research report we issued six years later drew attention of Professor Mitsuru Tanaka at Hosei University, we came to participate in the S-8. Since we participated in the S-8, we could have Mr. Hijioka at the National Institute for Environmental Studies and Mr. Baba at Tokyo City University a lecture at the review committee and provide information including their findings on the predictions for the prefecture. However, as Ms. Matsumoto said, there were arguments within the prefectural government whether adaptation measures would be really necessary. I have heard those in charge of the S-8 project talked to the prefectural government about the importance of adaptation persistently.

Adaptation measures considering the steep topography and high mountain range

You started working on adaptation measures in FY 2012. Adaptation involves various fields. How do you grasp climate change impacts related to individual departments?

Yanagisawa: The Environment Department has been using an impact survey sheet since last fiscal year based on opinions we receive. This year, we have added questions about problems and bottlenecks in implementing policies. We ask the relevant departments to write whether an impact is already felt, what measures are taken if any, and what problems they have if measures are not taken.

Matsumoto: One of the purposes of this survey sheet is to give momentum to the working groups for various fields, such as agriculture, disaster preparedness, ecosystem and health in the Shinshu Climate Change Adaptation Platform. We believe that it is necessary to visualize what measures each department are implementing and what their awareness is.

Yanagisawa: We set up the platform in 2016 but it has not led to the development of specific adaptation measures. To solve this problem, the Environment Department, based on this survey sheet, tries to identify measures already implemented in the prefecture and likely to serve as adaptation measures if a perspective of climate change is added and set them out as adaptation measures. In the next phase, we try to detect who is suffering what problem and provide appropriate support and we hope that will lead to creation of adaptation measures. If you look at the map of our prefecture, you will see that some areas next to each other are greatly different in altitude. To identify impacts based on the actual situation, monitoring is important.

Hamada: For identification of impacts, our research institute analyzes data obtained by monitoring and provides the research findings on the real situation of climate change in the prefecture and impacts on the ecosystems. However, even if we provide those findings on climate change and its impacts, there won’t be many people who can understand and utilize them yet. Some idea will be needed to help interaction between those supplying the findings and those receiving them. For example, it will be helpful if an opportunity is arranged for both parties to meet in person and exchange opinions. I hope the platform will serve that function. If more and more requests for findings are made via working groups of the platform, opportunities to utilize our findings will increase.

The Environment Department draws up its original impact survey sheet for each department. To address those impacts, what measures, special to Nagano Prefecture, can you think of?

Matsumoto: Nagano Prefecture is surrounded by a lot of mountains and people live even in steep areas. Due to recent climate change, we have torrential rain we could never imagine and we feel risk of sediment disasters heighted. The prefecture must protect the mountains and lives of people living there. To that end, the prefecture must increase the disaster resilience of the region. In the high mountain range, rare species of animals and plants including rock ptarmigan inhabit. I am not sure how much impacts on those ecosystems can be related with climate change but I believe we need to take a perspective of climate change and discuss what measures (adaptation measures) should be taken to pass down the prefecture’s precious resources to next generations.

Hamada: In the Social Implementation Program on Climate Change Adaptation Technology (SI-CAT) run by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Nagano Prefecture is the only model government dealing with adaptation of ecosystems. There are many different views on climate change adaptation about natural ecosystems. If a climate changes, ecosystems adapt naturally to the change in climate. In that sense, leaving it to nature is one of the adaptation measures. It is also an adaptation measure to protect species to be threatened with extinction due to climate change. There is great difficulty in deciding on adaptation measures. For example, we should think what measures are defined as adaptation measures or whether measures need to be considered separately for every species. To deal with the difficulty, we are considering compiling a menu of available adaptation measures and letting the persons concerned (those implementing the measures) choose the best measures. We are now compiling such a menu jointly with the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute. When completed, it will be an approach characteristic of Nagano Prefecture. Natural scenery is directly related with tourism. Adaptation measures for ecosystems are expected to have positive effects for tourism as well as they are good for conservation of the environment.

I see there are various views on adaptation to impacts on ecosystems. Will you tell me specific adaptation measures for ecosystems if any.

Hamada: If impacts on ecosystems also affect humans, we need to think of what action we should take and that action will be an adaptation measure. There are adaptation measures utilizing the functions of ecosystems. Such adaptation measures include planting trees on the coast to reduce damage by tsunami and enhancing the water retention capacity of forests to prevent an increase in river flow. Protecting endangered species is also an adaptation measure. All those measures, however, cannot necessarily bring about immediate effects. It is important to keep those ideas in mind.

Some people say it is difficult to drive adaptation measures for the future while urgent issues are prioritized in any field. What do you think of such measures with medium- and long-term views?

Hamada: That depends on whether policies and plans have a future perspective. Efforts for an immediate problem can turn out to be effective also in the future. If the Environment Department can enhance the awareness of such aspects of adaptation among prefectural departments, more and more adaptation measures for the prefecture will be developed.
Our research institute is now exploring ways of specifying areas subject to potential impacts to show which part of the prefecture will be the most dangerous, for instance, in which area the risk of heatstroke is the highest. The information will help decide which department we should approach or, if there is high risk, which problem should be addressed first. In that case, future predictions are complementary. It is important to identify areas based on the records of past disasters or incidents. As it will be very difficult for Climate Change Adaptation Centers or local governments to make predictions for themselves, what to do to start with will be examining past impacts utilizing the past experience as well as establishing a system for collecting impact assessment data and the latest information.

Nagano Prefecture consisting of 77 municipalities.
Driving adaptation of the region using the platform

Nagano Prefecture set up the Shinshu Climate Change Adaptation Platform, the first of its kind by a local government, in 2016. Please tell me the purpose and background.

Matsumoto: The purpose of the Shinshu Climate Change Adaptation Platform is to provide information obtained from the Shinshu Monitoring Network for Climate Change and other sources promptly to Nagano citizens and businesses and serve as a platform for active risk communication with the citizens. The platform is made up of 50 local businesses and organizations. The platform is aimed at technological development and policy formulation by the members of the platform. To set up the platform, people at the Environment and Energy Section and the research institute made a list of businesses and organizations the prefectural departments knew and visited them one by one. I have heard it was a strenuous job.

I see it was really hard to establish the platform. The Climate Change Adaptation Act entered into force in December and the promotion of adaptation by municipalities have been gathering attention. How are you planning to work with them using the Shinshu Climate Change Adaptation Platform?

Yanagisawa: The platform has four working groups for agriculture, disaster preparedness, ecosystem and health. Each working group has 10 to 20 participants. In the health working group held in September this year, we have invited Nagano City as an observer. As for heatstroke and disaster prevention, effects will be limited if efforts are made by the prefecture alone. As the working groups have received opinions requesting cooperation with municipalities, we are considering inviting their participation in the platform.

Hamada: The prefecture and municipalities have respective roles. For example, heatstroke often occurs at school and schools are under the jurisdiction of cities, towns or villages. All the prefecture can do is try to raise the awareness. Who to take the initiative varies from field to field. If adaptation measures for heatstroke include community development, the municipality should take the initiative.

Matsumoto: Nagano Prefecture has 77 municipalities. Some of the municipalities have a population of below 1,000. For those small municipalities, it will be difficult to have their own experts on climate change adaptation. Therefore, we are considering raising the awareness among large cities and encouraging them to start with what they can do.

Accelerating cooperative system between governments and research institutes

In conclusion, please tell me what you find rewarding in working on climate change adaptation as a member of the Environment Department.

Yanagisawa: As I studied environment and energy in college, I was familiar with the term climate change adaptation a little. I was assigned to the job on the adaptation in the first year I was transferred to the Environment and Energy Section. That motivates me strongly. The Climate Change Adaptation Act came into force in December. At the “Local government view-exchange meeting” hosted by the National Institute for Environmental Studies, we had opportunities to explore solutions to common problems with representatives from all other prefectures. The experience motivates me to tackle daily operations. Meanwhile, it takes time to develop cross-sector measures due to difference in awareness among the prefectural departments. Members of the Environment Department will be required to convey information more meticulously and patiently. I will make continued efforts to further raise not only the citizens’ but also all others’ awareness of adaptation.

Matsumoto: This is my second year at the Environment Department. I am having a hard time increasing the other departments’ understanding of climate change adaptation as well as understanding it myself. I think the establishment of the act has opened up an opportunity to spread the idea of adaptation nationwide. I hope cooperation between relevant agencies on a national level will accelerate the cooperation within each local government. I will make efforts to foster shared awareness of climate change adaptation among prefectural departments while taught by Mr. Hamada and other experts.

Hamada: Cooperation between governments and research institutes has accelerated in the past two years. When mitigation was the mainstream measures against global warming, there were already cooperation between governments and academia on a personal level. After Ms. Matsumoto and Mr. Yanagisawa came to the Environment and Energy Section, the mood has changed. It is said to be difficult to spread the idea of adaptation measures in a prefectural government. For us at the research institute, it is essential that people at the Environment and Energy Section understand adaptation measures as they are the very organization to work for the issue. Sometimes, that is difficult. In our case, as Mr. Yanagisawa understands adaptation measures well, things go smoothly. I would like to cooperate further to reflect the findings from the S-8 and the SI-CAT in the prefecture’s policies.

Related sites (Update:Octorber 10 2022)

• Nagano Prefecture Zero Carbon Strategy - Actions until FY2030 to achieve 2050 zero carbon(Formulated in June 2021)
• Nagano Prefecture Environment and Energy Strategies -- The Third Nagano Citizens' Plan for Global Warming Prevention
• Shinshu Monitoring Network for Climate Change
• Shinshu Climate Change Adaptation Platform