Sustainable Living with Environmental Risks

287 Pages·2014·8.66 MB·English

Nobuhiro Kaneko · Shinji Yoshiura
Masanori Kobayashi Editors
Sustainable
Living with
Environmental
Risks
S ustainable Living with Environmental Risks
N obuhiro K aneko • S hinji Y oshiura
M asanori K obayashi
E ditors
S ustainable Living with
Environmental Risks
E ditors
N obuhiro K aneko S hinji Y oshiura
Y okohama National University Y okohama National University
Y okohama Y okohama
J apan J apan
M asanori K obayashi
Y okohama National University
Y okohama
J apan
I SBN 978-4-431-54803-4 ISBN 978-4-431-54804-1 (eBook)
D OI 10.1007/978-4-431-54804-1
S pringer Tokyo Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
L ibrary of Congress Control Number: 2014930336
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F oreword
M anaging risks and promoting sustainability are imperative for the international
community to build a sustainable society on our planet. To prompt changes in our
behaviours and business models and to facilitate the socio-economic transformation
necessary for a sustainable world, we must empower people who can take the lead
in supporting the transition to a system that is more environmentally sound and
enriching in terms of human well-being.
Y okohama National University (YNU) strives to promote international partner-
ships as a means of advancing education and research. The Leadership Programme
in Sustainable Living with Environmental Risk (the SLER programme) is one such
initiative that YNU has promoted over the years. Since 2009, the SLER programme
has been supported by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science
and Technology (MEXT), and the Japanese Science and Technology Promotion
Agency (JST). It is spearheaded by the YNU Graduate School of Environment and
Information Sciences, and is considered one of the key initiatives at our university.
Prof. Shin Morishita, Dean of the YNU Graduate School of Environment and
Information Sciences, has championed the SLER programme as Programme Leader,
and Prof. Nobuhiro Kaneko has steered SLER education and research activities as
Programme Coordinator together with other faculty and supporting staff.
T his textbook, S ustainable Living with Environmental Risks, is a manifestation
of the progress and achievements made by the SLER programme. I would like to
express my gratitude and appreciation to MEXT, JST, and all those in YNU, our
partner universities, and elsewhere, who have collaborated to support the pro-
gramme and the publication of this textbook. I trust that this textbook will provide
a useful knowledge base and tool for future students and practitioners to compre-
hend the mounting challenges we all face and to explore innovative approaches to
manage risk effectively and promote sustainability. We expect graduates of the
SLER programme at YNU and partner universities to bring both their expertise and
their compassion to bear in leading the transformation that will bring about a
s ustainable society and world.
v
vi Foreword
G lobal sustainability cannot be achieved by a single stakeholder group or c ountry.
We must work more closely together and enhance the impact of our educational and
research activities to develop the knowledge and skills essential for future environ-
mental leaders. We must forge ahead with our endeavours and capitalize upon the
SLER initiative’s achievements. In this way, YNU will continue to play a leading
role in developing environmental leaders for a sustainable world.

K unio S uzuki
P resident, Yokohama National University
Yokohama, Japan
P refa ce
I am very pleased to present this publication, S ustainable Living with Environmental
Risks, which represents one of the key outputs of the Leadership Programme in
Sustainable Living with Environmental Risk (the SLER programme). The Yokohama
National University Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences
(YNU-GSEIS) has been implementing the SLER programme over the past few
years with the support of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology (MEXT), and the Japanese Science and Technology
Promotion Agency (JST), as well as our partner universities.
To promote trans-disciplinary, pragmatic education and research to facilitate the
development of environmental leaders, YNU-GSEIS developed an alliance of fac-
ulty members at YNU and partner universities, as well as a curriculum that addresses
risk and sustainability from trans-disciplinary, multifaceted perspectives. Every
Tuesday, YNU joins with students of the United Nations University-Institute of
Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) and the United Nations Institute of Sustainability
and Peace (UNU-ISP) to connect to eight overseas universities through the
Interactive Multimedia Education System (iMES). Participants hear lectures given
by prominent practitioners working in international research institutes and other
organizations, NGOs, business corporations, and government, after which intensive
discussions take place.
O ur annual SLER intensive course also serves as an exemplar of our participa-
tion with partner universities in a wide range of activities. The course includes a tour
to observe the process of reconstruction in Rikuzentakata and other areas in Tohoku
(northeast Japan) affected by the 2011 disaster. There are also visits to Kawasaki
and Hayama, a symposium at the United Nations University, and a scenario work-
shop at YNU that addresses integrated risk and environment management, explor-
ing the science–policy interface. A three-day workshop on environmental leadership
and career development was another unique SLER programme initiative held in
Hayama in March 2013 and co-organized with UNU-IAS and ISP.
vii
viii Preface
There are so many more activities that could be cited as achievements of the
SLER programme, and this book attests to the extent of our determination to further
enhance our education and research programmes for developing environmental
leaders. I hope that you will fi nd it both useful and enlightening.

S hin M orishita
D ean, Yokohama National University
Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences
L eader, Leadership Programme in Sustainable
Living with Environmental Risk
Yokohama, Japan
C ongratulatory Salutation
As the world population continues to increase exponentially and humans resort to
ever more intensifi ed resource use, managing risks and promoting sustainability have
become imperative, while the need for environmental leaders is greater than ever.
T he Yokohama National University (YNU) Leadership Programme in Sustainable
Living with Environmental Risk (the SLER programme) has been supported since
2009 by strategic funding for the promotion of science and technology from the
Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
The funds were provided as part of the strategic programme for fostering interna-
tional environmental leaders begun in 2008 to provide support to 17 universities in
Japan. The SLER programme is a distinctive one that focuses on environmental risk
management and promotion of sustainability, building upon YNU’s long- established
expertise and achievements in these fi elds.
I have been associated with several of the key events and activities undertaken in
the context of the programme, and therefore had a chance to personally observe this
highly productive international partnership among universities. I was especially
impressed by its use of the simultaneous broadcasting system for joint lectures and
seminars, as well as for symposiums to discuss critical challenges and career devel-
opment. I am therefore very pleased to recommend this newly launched publication
S ustainable Living with Environmental Risks , comprising one of the key outputs
delivered under the SLER programme.
T his textbook contains numerous articles contributed not just by YNU faculty
members, but also by faculty in the partner universities. It therefore represents the
culmination of all that the programme has achieved. The aim of the textbook is to
present up-to-date analysis on environmental risks, their implications, and interven-
tions to promote effective risk management and sustainable development. It refl ects
insightful views and suggestions for advancing science, education, and leadership
development aimed at achieving sustainability.
ix