“Wise Use” in Watarase-yusuichi Creating New Value through the Integration of Stakeholders

Watarease-yusuichi, a man-made retarding basin, which has functioned as a flood control for about 100 years, entered a new phase in 2012 as a registered site under the Ramsar Convention. Through diversification of wetland use, despite the complexity of the root of the Convention’s “wise use,” Watarase-yusuichi represents a unique perspective on sustainable development so that wetlands can continue creating new value for human society. The emerging ecological function as the habitat for endangered fauna and flora exemplifies not only the universal paradigm shift in human involvement in the wetland’s use, but also the importance of the integration of stakeholders regarding the issues of wetland management as IRBM (the Integrated River Basin Management), which gives us more holistic perspective on a participatory and comprehensive approach to planning and management. Regarding the integration of stakeholders, despite the significant differences in original ideas on wetland management, it should be noted that five major types of stakeholders, including the local and scholarly communities, collaborated to device a future plan for Watarase-yusuichi through lengthy discussions. The several challenges remain in terms of “wise use” even after the successful designation under the Ramsar Convention. One of the difficulties is how to share a common goal or incentive among groups with different interests. Taking the advantage of wetland’s characteristics distinguished from other water-related facilities such as a multi-purpose dam reservoir, regular and innovative action should be taken, such as information dispatch from individuals.