Using the World Natural Heritage registration, an environmental culture approach to improve the well-being of the islanders in Amami

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 spread.

Explanation of Amami NP's definition of “environmental culture”.
“The general consciousness, lifestyle, and production style that local people have formed and acquired while interacting with nature and influencing each other.”

Case Studies of Environmental Culture
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”.
 

Through the efforts of the government, local government, and local residents, the Amami Islands were designated as a NP in 2017.　
Subsequently, the extermination of non-native species such as mongoose and wild cat etc. became a challenge in maintaining the island's biodiversity in preparation for the registration as a World Natural Heritage site, and preserving the unique natural environment that forms the basis of the island's environmental culture.  The mongoose, the biggest challenge of all, has been exterminated under the government's initiative and will be completely eliminated by 2024. Meanwhile, measures against wild cats and monitoring of non-native plants were carried out with the cooperation of Kagoshima University, the Ministry of the Environment, local governments, and local residents. In the case of wild cat countermeasures, precedents from overseas were introduced and considerations for owners in their daily lives were shared. In terms of invasive plant monitoring, continuous training sessions for local residents have been held to improve their capabilities and share the results.
 

As the concept of environmental culture has spread throughout the island through research for national park designation and CEPA efforts, Kagoshima University has developed a human resource development program based on a reaffirmation of Amami's environmental culture in order to halt the decline of the local culture and community due to the decline in the local population and the spread of modern lifestyles. The program is designed to help local people to develop their own business skills. More than 100 people participated in the program, including local entrepreneurs and local government officials. Participants in the program, who learned to integrate environmental culture with modern knowledge and skills, have developed networks among themselves and are now independently developing product development and experiential tour businesses, school education, and welfare programs. Municipalities are incorporating environmental and cultural ideas in rebuilding aging meeting halls. In addition, the number of outside collaborators and immigrants is increasing, and local communities that had been on the decline are becoming more active. In addition, as an extension of the environmental culture that has been used in the past, efforts are underway to consider how to interact with the natural environment in the future. The environmental culture approach has improved livelihoods and enhanced the spirit of the local community by strengthening ties between them, resulting in increased attachment to the island and improved community well-being.