Ordinance Protecting the Township of Water and People - December 2006
The city of Ayabe, Kyoto Prefecture, has proposed a draft "Water and Human Resource Village Ordinance" to the city council in an effort to save its vanishing water source villages. Five villages in the eastern part of the city are seriously depopulated and aging, and their demise is becoming a reality. The ordinance would maintain and revitalize the water source villages by encouraging residents to settle down while supporting the development of local specialties and the preservation of natural resources such as wild vegetables.
The core of this ordinance lies in the fact that it links the preservation of water sources with human activities. As depopulation progresses, forest management will become inadequate, water recharge functions will decline, and the risk of landslides and water quality deterioration will increase. The clean water that people in urban areas enjoy every day is actually supported by the care of these satoyama. This ordinance seeks to arouse awareness throughout society that protecting villages is directly linked to protecting water.
What is particularly unusual about the ordinance is that it is not merely a depopulation measure, but includes a brand strategy that makes the most of the region's natural resources. The aim is to revitalize the local economy by promoting wild vegetables and specialty products not merely for local consumption, but as high value-added products that can be marketed throughout the country. This ordinance, which connects water resources to the future while supporting settlement and industrial promotion, is a pioneering attempt that is rarely seen in other local governments.
Before the villages of water sources suffering from depopulation are transformed into "landscapes without people. It is hoped that this ordinance will enrich the region like a clear stream, and will serve as a catalyst for the creation of a new flow of people.
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