When the Ministry of the Environment was seeking the designation of the Amami Archipelago as a national park for the purpose of registration as the World Heritage site, it proposed two management concepts, “Ecosystem Management Type” and “Environmental Culture Type,” with the support of Kagoshima University, which had launched the Kagoshima Environmental Studies Project, a public-private collaboration aimed at solving environmental problems in the region. The “Ecosystem Management Type” concept aims to preserve the area as a registered World Natural Heritage site, while the “Environmental Culture Type” concept supports cultural value by providing visitors with a chance to experience the history and culture of people who have lived in harmony with nature in the area, and have skillfully used and passed it on to future generations. The purpose of Japan's national parks is to protect natural scenic areas, promote their use, and contribute to conservation of biodiversity. “Amamigunto National Park” was the first national park to propose the concept of an Eenvironmental Culture Type” national park that focuses on the nature and culture of the region. The term “Amamigunto” means “the Amami Archipelago”.

The Ministry of the Environment and Kagoshima University conducted an interview survey, as an attempt, in collaboration with local residents in the satoyama area of Amami, a candidate area for a national park, to visualize the language and spirit that represent the culture of the islanders and how they live using nature, and to understand the local environmental culture that has coexisted with nature. Through many workshops and symposiums, including web-based workshops, the results of the survey were shared with local residents and people from Amami living in the city, and through understanding the uniqueness and value of the local environmental culture, the awareness that environmental culture has the potential to strengthen community identity and seed independent economic development in the region spread. This awareness has continued to spread.

What is Environmental Culture?
The concept of environmental culture is closely related to the nature-culture linkage.
In Kagoshima, this concept has been in use since around 1990, and more recently, it has been defined as: “The general consciousness, lifestyle, and production style that local people have formed and acquired while interacting with nature and influencing each other."

Example 1) The topography and geology of the “high island” and “low island” of the Amami archipelago determined the amount of water in rivers and groundwater, which in turn determined how the islanders obtained water for daily use and firewood. On the “high island,” waterwheel-powered sugar manufacturing flourished, taking advantage of the abundance of water in the rivers. The “low islands” had difficulty securing firewood due to the lack of well-developed forests, and trade developed to obtain firewood from neighboring islands, promoting cultural exchange. These “high” and “low” islands have strongly influenced the islanders' culture and awareness of the importance of resources. At the same time, this culture and awareness has influenced the islanders' approach to nature and has defined the natural environment of the islands.

Example 2)  The awareness of the forbidden by the yokai Kenmun in the island's folklore has become a means of appropriate control of natural resources and coexistence with nature.　The “yokai” is closely English word for “ghost” or “supernatural creature”.
 

In the context of fisheries and aquaculture, the fish trap represents an evolution of existing harvesting methods. Unlike active fishing gear, such as seines, the fish traps require less labor and energy, which makes them very efficient in terms of catch effort. In addition, the fish traps do not physically harm the caught fish, so the fish can be taken out of the trap alive and in good health. Early experiments on partial harvests in aquaculture in Malawi date back to the 1990s, when different tools for intermittent harvest were tested. However, due to the inefficiency and labor-intensity of the methods, there has been no broad application or further developments.

Based on this knowledge, further literature research, and expert discussions, the idea was born to build and test a size-selective fish trap to regularly harvest the juveniles of the initial fish stock. This innovation is thought to control the stocking density, to optimize the use of supplementary feeds, and to not exceed the carrying capacity of the pond. Ideally, a successful application of the fish trap would result in households increasing their overall aquaculture productivity, whilst harvesting small quantities of small fish much more regularly than has been customary in aquaculture to date. The intermittently harvested fish can be consumed within the household or used to generate small amounts of regular income. Meanwhile, the initial fish stock (parent fish) will be grown to a larger size for the final harvest.

In a fish-loving country like Malawi, where fish is the main source of animal protein, but fisheries yields are in decline, great hope and effort is placed in the development of aquaculture. Better access to and regular consumption of fish, which is an important source of protein and essential micronutrients, can make an important contribution to overcoming development challenges. And food insecurity is one of the greatest in terms of public health. Women and children are particularly affected by malnutrition. The expansion and promotion of sustainable aquaculture represents an important approach to meeting a growing demand for fish.

This development requires – among many other aspects – innovations that contribute to successfully mastering challenges in the sector. With a focus on rural aquaculture, the Aquaculture Value Chain for Higher Income and Food Security Project in Malawi (AVCP), part of the Global Programme ‘Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture’ under the special initiative ‘One World – No Hunger’ of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, is providing technical training to 4,500 small-scale producers in Malawi. Fish farming helps them improve both income and food security.

One of the common and complex challenges in rural aquaculture is the use of mixed-sex Tilapia fingerlings in low-input systems. This means that farmers only have a limited selection and quantity of agricultural by-products available with which to feed a rapidly growing fish population in the pond. This leads to increasing competition for oxygen and food, which leads to poor growth rates and often an acceleration of sexual maturity. Accordingly, final harvests often consist of rather small fish, which does not meet the widespread expectations of harvesting edible – “plate filling” – fish from aquaculture.

Given the unavailability or prohibitiveness of mono-sex fingerlings, fish feed and aerators in rural aquaculture, the project was challenged to find an alternative solution to improve the productivity of rural aquaculture and its contribution to household nutrition.

Using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, Landsat TM/OLI series remote sensing data from 1990 to 2022 were collected, covering TM5, ETM+7, OLI8, and OLI9. Key spectral bands (near-infrared, red, and green light) were fused to ensure high-quality data for subsequent analysis.

Using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, Landsat TM/OLI series remote sensing data from 1990 to 2022 were collected, covering TM5, ETM+7, OLI8, and OLI9. Key spectral bands (near-infrared, red, and green light) were fused to ensure high-quality data for subsequent analysis.

Community habitat monitors are selected by the village grazing committees to conduct monthly monitoring of the selected plots. Monitors receive training on the data collection protocols, best practices in using geospatial technology, and basic troubleshooting techniques for the mobile phones and applications used. Every month thereafter, the monitors visit each plot and complete a customized Survey123 form that includes questions about the entire pasture as well as quantitative metrics collected at 20 samples along a 100 meter transect within the pasture. The data are submitted to a cloud-based server hosted by Esri. Data collection focuses on understanding current grazing quality, existing resource availability, and frequency of invasive species to predict trends in bush encroachment and palatability. 

The pasture quality data for each plot are analyzed in real time via ArcGIS Dashboards. For the more complex invasive species trends metrics, the APW MELA team runs an Arcade script to calculate change in various problematic plants’ frequency at a plot level. The Dashboard is customized to display this as a trend-over-time serial chart, with each monitored species visualized on one line graph. 

This collaboration has been crucial for knowledge exchange and the adaptation of advanced metabarcoding techniques to Lebanon. The Smithsonian team provided best practices on implementing DNA-based methods in ecological studies and offered expert advice on selecting the most suitable tools and instruments for metabarcoding analysis. This partnership has strengthened the scientific foundation of our project and ensured that our approach aligns with international standards.

The building blocks of NoArk's solution are interconnected to create a comprehensive, efficient system for conservation and environmental management. Bio-acoustic and chemical sensors collect critical ecological data, while Edge AI processing ensures rapid, on-site analysis, enabling immediate detection and response. These components are supported by LoRaWAN connectivity, which facilitates reliable, long-range communication in remote areas. The processed data is centralized on the PAMS dashboard, where it is visualized and analyzed for actionable insights, fostering better decision-making.

This system is strengthened by hyperlocal climate data, which enhances precision in risk assessments and planning. Finally, community and stakeholder engagement ensures the data and tools are effectively utilized, promoting collaboration and adaptability. Together, these elements form an integrated solution that empowers conservation efforts, addresses ecological threats, and supports sustainable development.

Through the Tunas Scholarship program and conservation education initiatives, HARPA builds long-term community support for conservation. This approach connects conservation with education and local development, ensuring sustainable impact through community involvement.

HARPA collaborates with specialized conservation NGOs who serve as expert implementers in their respective fields. Each NGO partner is carefully selected based on their expertise and track record. This framework enables effective program implementation while ensuring professional conservation standards are met.