The International Lake Environment Committee (ILEC), commissioned by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), conducts an annual training course entitled “Integrated Lake, River and Coastal Basin Management for Sustainable Use and Preservation of Water Resources from January 10 (Wed.) to February 14 (Wed.), 2024. The participants have been preparing for their training in Japan during the 3-week online training (Stage 1) held in November 2023.
During this 5-week on-site training at the ILEC facility in Kusatsu, 11 central and local government officials from developing countries engaged in river, lake, and coastal basin management will participate in various activities. The program includes lectures by esteemed educators from universities and companies in Kusatsu and other prefectures, as well as visits to relevant facilities.
Background and Purpose of the Training:
Considering the rapid development of human lives and industrial activities in rivers, lakes, and coastal basin, environmental challenges, including water source pollution, have become increasingly prominent. Developing countries face a myriad of issues such as water pollution, soil deposition, and abnormal algae growth. These problems are caused by multiple factors, and there is a pressing need for environmental conservation based on clear lake basin management measures. The training course focuses on Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM), addressing key elements such as “Institution,” “Policy,” “Technology,” “Participation,” “Information,” and “Finance.” It aims to showcase successful initiatives in Lake Biwa and the broader Yodo River Basin, promoting collaboration among residents, governments, businesses, universities, and other stakeholders to address water environment problems.
Participating Countries and Number of Participants:
The program will host officials from Albania, Central Africa, Chad, Cuba, El Salvador, India, Nicaragua, Nigeria, South Sudan, Bangladesh, Mexico with a total of 11 participants committed to enhancing their expertise in sustainable water resource management.
Main Training Contents:
The core training contents include:
▶ Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM)
▶ Shiga Prefectural government’s environmental conservation efforts in Lake Biwa
▶ Water quality improvement/monitoring, GIS, environmental education, eco-tourism, waste management, etc.
▶ Visits to key facilities (Lake Biwa Environmental Science Research Center, Lake Biwa Museum, Konan Chubu Purification Center, Hiyoshi Corporation, Otsu City Water Reclamation Center, etc.)
▶ Inspection tour of the Osaka Bay, Lake Biwa and the Yodo River Basin
▶ Environmental study (visit Uminoko)
Since 1989, ILEC has welcomed and trained 573 participants from 74 countries, including JICA trainees, contributing significantly to global knowledge exchange in this critical field. (As of December, 2024)