ILEC conducts an annual training course on “Integrated Lake, River, and Coastal Basin Management for Sustainable Use and Preservation of Water Resources.” commissioned by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This fiscal year, four participants from four countries involved in river, lake, and coastal watershed management will visit Japan. Before their visit, the participants will undergo a three-week online training (Stage 1) to prepare for the onsite program (Stage 2). During the five-week onsite training, participants will be lectured by specialists invited from various universities and companies at ILEC’s office in Kusatsu, and will also visit 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.

Participants:
4 participants from 4 countries (El Salvador, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh)

Training Period:
Stage 1: November 18, 2024 – December 10, 2024
Stage 2: January 13, 2025 – February 19, 2025

Main Training Contents:
　▶　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, etc.)
　▶　Inspection tour of the Osaka Bay, Lake Biwa and the Yodo River Basin
　▶　Environmental study (visit Uminoko)

Since 1989, ILEC has received 577 participants from 74 countries, including JICA trainees, contributing significantly to global knowledge exchange in this critical field. (As of November 2024)