Sachihiko Harashina

Environmental dispute resolution process and information exchange

With the growth of environmental awareness, it is becoming common to consider harmony between human beings and the environment as a major goal of human progress. New technologies and new products or facilities can enhance peoples quality of life. However, they should be applied with an awareness of the nature of existing environments. Mismatches between technologies and environments can cause disputes. Japan has less available land area than any of the economically advanced countries. As human activities are concentrated in small areas, environmental disputes are arising in many parts of Japan. This article shows some examples of this kind of dispute in road construction. These are typical environmental disputes caused by a conflict between publish interest and local interest. Discussions of information exchanges and the learning process are on the dispute over Keiji by-pass construction project in Kyoto and Shiga Prefectural Areas. The disputes took more than 10 years to reach resolution.

The role of environmental non-governmental organisations in the environmental impact assessment process in Japan

The enactment of EIA law in Japan in 1999 has been particularly significant for environmental NGOs, and for public participation in EIA. This research used a case study to analyse the activities the environmental NGOs in an EIA for land reclamation on the Awase Tidal Flats, Okinawa City. The NGOs appeared to have well developed technical expertise in gathering reliable data on conservation issues. However, their knowledge of the activities of other NGOs, and their awareness of the procedural steps and timing constraints of the EIA procedure, severely compromised their ability to contribute effectively to the EIA. To improve the involvement of environmental NGOs in EIA, the formation of networks with other local, national and international environmental NGOs can enable more efficient use of scarce human and financial resources and expert knowledge.

Application of FCE–AHP method for multi-criteria decision-making of municipal solid waste management alternatives: a case study in the Dalian Development Zone of China

Because of rapid economic and population growth as well as change in consumption patterns in last decades, municipal solid waste management (MSWM) has become an important strategic decision so that the evaluation and assessment process is attached a prime concern. Avoiding the injustice which may be caused by subjective factors, this paper sets up a hybrid model of fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and analytical hierarchy process for a MSWM alternative selection. A case study for MSWM alternative selection in Dalian Development Area of China is presented to demonstrate the practicality of this model. With an identification and design of a comprehensive and scientific evaluation index system, this paper furthermore proposes a detailed operation procedure of the selected option according to the simulation results.

Environmental dispute resolution in road construction projects in Japan

Abstract Environmental disputes arise in the process of road construction projects in many parts of Japan. In some cases, the disputes may last as long as 10 to 20 years. The discussion in this paper is based on case studies of artery construction in the Tokyo Bay Area. The analysis emphasizes the importance of the scientific underpinnings of the points at issue. It also provides concrete examples of institutionalized mediation, a system that has been proposed for the United States.

Residents’ Attitude Shifts in an Environmental Dispute: A Case Study of a Golf Course Location Dispute

Since the concept of sustainable growth was advocated, the balance between development and environmental protection has been a most important problem. Nowadays the general public take great interest in environmental problems, and there are often protests against development, a trend which will become even stronger from now on. This paper, looks at one of the golf course location disputes that have arisen in recent years in Japan as a case study of an environmental dispute. We carried out a field survey, including many personal interviews with the local residents, and a questionnaire sheet survey. Focusing Analysis on the attitudes of the local residents towards the plan, we found an attitude shift of local residents in the dispute. At the outset, proponents and opponents were almost equal in numbers, and therefore there was serious conflict. However, 5 months later, opponents were in the majority, and the number of unconcerned people had decreased to 9%. Analysis of the cause of this attitude shift showed that the information provided during the dispute played a very important role: 1. The major cause of the attitude shift was the availability of reliable information. 2. Lack of information results in chaos, with the dispute becoming more serious. 3. For better agreement, reliable information and face-to-face discussions among the local residents are needed.