ProSPER.Net Joint Project YNU Research Base

Educational Program for Sustainable Development of Regional Society with a focus on Biodiversity (EPSDRSB)

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Leading Institution: Yokohama National University, Japan
Participating Institution (ProSPER.Net member) : Hokkaido University, Shinshu University, (non-Japanese Asian unviersities)

Purposes:

- For Sustainable Development (SD) of human society, social systems in harmony with nature and the environment should be established.
- Human development is the key to accomplish this goal.
- People who have systematically learned both Concepts, Institutions and Techniques for
sociological management, as well as Scientific Knowledge and monitoring methods of Biodiversity, are expected to improve SD with respect to biodiversity.
- Thus, we propose a new Educational Program to produce such experts who can lead the society.

In this program, we focus on
-"Region" as the spatial scale, to ensure practicability of training on problem-solving skills
- Sub-urban and Rural areas, where local people sustain traditional culture based on rich biodiversity, and seek social development through sustainable use of natural resources instead of relying on external sources of business and resources.
- "Biosphere Reserves" of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme are suitable as a learning sites. Cooperation between MAB and ESD are recommended internationally and also by the government of Japan.
- Thus, we incorporate MAB network in the program.

Organizations

Leading Institution & Departments
Yokohama National University
- Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences
- International Graduate School of Social Science
- Information Technology Service Center
Participating Institutions (ProSPER.Net members)
Hokkaido University
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science
Shinshu University
- Institute of Nature Education in Shiga Heights
Yonsei University - Prof. T.J.Lah
Participating Organizations
- Japanese Coordinating Committee for MAB
- Biosphere Reserves: Shiga Highland, Mt. Hakusan and Mts. Ohdaigahara & Ohmine; projected BRs: Aya and Tadami

Contents of the project

Development, Implementation and Diffusion of EPSDRSB
Practice (contents of the project)
- Offering two classes in Master/Doctoral courses of the graduate school of Environment and Information Sciences, YNU
(1) Methodology and technique for regional management focused on biodiversity
(1a) Lecture at campus room
Law and system for nature conservation by Oikawa (YNU) Koike (YNU) Tanaka (Hokkaido Univ.)
Biodiversity function for ecosystem services by Kaneko (YNU) Kohyama (Hokkaido Univ.)
Ecosystem management by Matsuda (YNU)
Environmental Education by Maezono (Katsuyama City)
(1b) Lecture & exercise at field
Shiga Highland Biosphere Reserve by Ida (Shinshu Univ.) Shoji (Rikkyo Univ.)
Mts Ohdaigahara and Ohmine BR by Matsui (Nara Univ of Education)
Aya BR nomination site by Shumiya (Nature Conservation Society of Japan)
Tadami BR consideration site by Suzuki (Tadami Beech Center)
Mt. Tanzawa Beech Forest: "Monitoring Site 1000" of the Ministry of Environment by Mori (YNU)
(2) GIS training course for implementing regional management (2 credit / year)
- system for creating, storing, analyzing and managing spatial data and associated attributes
- powerful tool for site management / scientific evaluation of sites
- used daily in the study fields of Conservation Biology, Ecology, Land Use Planning, …
- EABRN (East Asian Biosphere Reserve Network) conducts GIS training course for BR site managers.

Time schedule

Phase 1 (first year): Development
- for the educational program, we will produce and release lecture notes and exercise notebooks, and hold workshops and meetings
- To be reported in ProSPER.Net Working Paper Series and InfoMAB
Phase 2 (second year): Implementation
- start two classes
- improvement of the program
- To be reported in ProSPER.Net Working Paper Series, InfoMAB and 13th EABRN
Phase 3 (third year): Implementation & Summary
- continue the two classes (different sites from Phase 2 will be used for the field lecture & exercise)
- summarize the results
- update and release lecture and exercise notes
- to be reported in ProSPER.Net Working Paper Series, InfoMAB
Efforts of collaboration with other programs in/outside YNU will continue throughout the project