28 September 2011
Rebuilding Japan for People and Nature, IUCN
Seoul, 28 September, 2011 – As Japan rebuilds after the devastating impact of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami it
needs to consider nature based solutions as a key component to recovery and reconstruction efforts, says IUCN.
Six months on from the disaster, nature based solutions can provide long term, cost effective and equitable results to
both restore and conserve the natural environment, and build and support human wellbeing.
“Seasonal celebrations of nature, such as cherry blossom-viewing and moon-viewing are a testament to the close
relationship between the Japanese people and nature,” says IUCN’s Radhika Murti. “IUCN calls on Japan to bring this
close relationship between people and nature to the fore in the rebuilding and reconstruction efforts following the
earthquake and tsunami.”
Supporting the services nature provides for human wellbeing can help protect people from disasters. Clearing forests
means less protection from avalanches, landslides, storms, floods and tsunamis.
Overgrazing grasslands or poor land use can expose more land to dust storms and erosion. Converting wetlands to
agricultural use loses the flood control and storm protection values these habitats once provided. Clearing coastal
vegetation exposes coastal communities to greater damage from cyclones and tsunamis. In addition, climate change may
further accelerate at least some of nature’s extreme events, especially storms and droughts.
“IUCN wants to share with Japan the lessons learnt from the Indian Ocean tsunami and do things better rather than simply
restoring what was there before,” adds Jeff McNeely, Senior Science Advisor to IUCN. “IUCN promotes a plan which adapts
as lessons are learned, doesn’t assume a ‘one size fits all’ strategy, and avoids further damage to the environment,
ensuring that the rescue and relief phases contribute to longer-term environmental and social recovery.”
Reconstruction operations on this scale can have a significant environmental footprint, particularly if environmental
considerations are not taken into account in planning and managing operations such as clean-up and waste disposal. This
exacerbates the vulnerability of communities to future disasters. IUCN urges Japan to monitor and minimize further
impacts on nature during the reconstruction phase, where possible.
IUCN stands ready to assist Japan to conduct scientific assessments required, bring different interested parties
together to develop locally owned solutions, and learn lessons from best practices that Japan can share with the world.
About IUCN
IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing
environment and development challenges by supporting scientific research; managing field projects all over the world;
and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN, international conventions and companies together to develop policy, laws and
best practice. www.iucn.org
ENDS