There are 220,000 areas designated as "disastrous and hazardous" in
Japan. To date, this
figure has never declined. This means that people's life and property are
continuously under
threat. Management and control of mountains and waters, development of
countermeasures to
prevent land slides and protection of coastlines are the most costly efforts
in which the
government of Japan has been engaged, allocating $45 billion every year.
Japan's expenditures
for land management and preservation is among the highest in the world. The
amount is just
equal to the entire agricultural and forestry budget, increasing stress on
the national budget. Yet,
even with this enormous expenditure, Japan is not making any progress in
fundamental land
management. We must be more apprehensive of this situation.
Failure to manage mountainous lands at this magnitude inevitably
affects coastal
fishing, which has been a most vital source of protein for the Japanese
people. Uncontrolled
mountains dump mud and sand into streams preventing falling leaves and other
organic
substances from flowing down into the seas. Plankton living on these
substances do not grow
freely, depriving fish from finding ample food.
In every local municipality, you will find fishermen actively
participating in tree
planting projects and you now know why. Keeping mountains under control
is the key to
ensure clear and fresh waters in rivers, which in turn assure the free flow
of organic substances
into oceans.
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