Fuji - The Conflict over Groundwater (June 2004)

Fuji - The Conflict over Groundwater (June 2004)
At the time in 2004, the conflict between companies and local residents over the use of groundwater as a raw material for bottled water was intensifying at the foot of Mt. Especially in Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, domestic and foreign beverage manufacturers had their eyes on the cool groundwater, and there was a flurry of applications to take it. Fuji" as the basis of their livelihood, the local residents, concerned about a drop in the water level and adverse effects on the ecosystem, held protest rallies, signed petitions, and engaged in other activities to oppose the project. The company, on the other hand, conducted an environmental impact assessment and insisted that the water withdrawal was "sustainable," but this did not convince them. The need for legal protection of "water as a public good" was discussed, as the system for private use of water resources was still loose at that time and regulation by ordinances was not sufficient. The friction between the rise
of global water business and the preservation of local resources came to the surface, and the case became a symbolic example that garnered national attention.