Japan International Cooperation Agency Research Articles

Evaluation of the Effects of Different Sowing and Weed Control Methods on the Physiological Performance of NERICA 4 Rice Variety in Upland Ecology of Japan

The experiment was established to determine the most yield enhancing combination of sowing method and weed control measure for the selected rice variety- NERICA 4. The experiment was conducted from March to November 2023, at the upland research field of JICA’s Tsukuba International Center (TBIC), Japan. The experiment forms part of the fulfilment for the completion of a rice research technique fellowship in the Knowledge Co-Creation Program (KCCP) organized and funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It consists of two sowing methods; Drilling (S1) and Dibling (S2)) as well as three methods of weed control; Chemical Weeding only at Sowing (CW), Chemical Weeding at sowing with once Hand Weeding at 60 DAS (CWHW) and Chemical Weeding at Sowing with Twice Hand Weeding at 60 and 90 DAS (CW2HW) which were combined to form six treatments. Treatments were laid in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications of eighteen (18) plots. 8.9 g/plot of pendimethalin 2% (G0-G0-SAN) was used. Amaranthaceae, Cyperaceae and Poaceae were the prevalence weeds family identified.  The treatment assigned to drilling and twice hand weeding in addition to chemical weeding at sowing (S1CW2HW) had the highest yield (3.95 tons/ha) while the treatment assigned to dibbling with the weeding control plot of only chemical weeding at sowing (S2CW) gave the lowest yield (2.5 tons/ha). There was significant difference at (P<0.05) amongst the mean yield values of all treatment combinations. However, the treatment assigned to same drilling but with once hand weeding (S1CWHW) had the highest profitability rank. This study concludes that sowing with drilling and weed management by pendimethalin and once hand weeding may be productively viable for the variety. This outcome may serve as a benchmark for further research within same thematic framework for increased productivity of rice farmers in the west African sub-region from where the first two authors were sent for the experiment in Japan. 

Introduction of Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach as an innovative agricultural extension model

Agricultural extension in developing countries faces many challenges. The main challenge for public institutions, the implementers of agricultural extension services, is that they have weak implementation systems to support farmers. On the other hand, the main challenge faced by beneficiary farmers is low agricultural productivity and income. Against this backdrop, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) launched an initiative to promote “agriculture as a business” by strengthening the agricultural extension systems of developing country governments, beginning with a technical cooperation project implemented in Kenya from 2006 to 2009. The agricultural extension method developed in this project is the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach. The SHEP approach is supported by two theoretical pillars: promoting farming as a business (economics) and empowering and motivating people (psychology). A series of activities fulfilling these two pillars is the innovative originality of the SHEP approach. These activities are practiced according to four steps to promote market-oriented agriculture while motivating smallholders to improve their farming operations. In Kenya, horticultural income of target farmers increased through the practice of “grow to sell.” Following this result, the SHEP approach has spread across Africa through the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), benefitting 256,546 small-scale farmers in 30 countries to date. In countries where the SHEP approach was implemented, in addition to the outcomes of increased horticultural productivity and income, many impacts were identified that contributed to improved farmers’ livelihoods, including repairing or building houses, purchasing mobile phones and vehicles, installing electricity in homes and funding children’s education. Since TICAD VII in 2019, JICA has been working with African governments, development partners, private companies and relevant organizations to promote the transition to profitable agriculture through the SHEP approach with the goal of achieving better lives for one million smallholders by 2030. This has led to the utilization of the SHEP approach in various forms, and its effectiveness and versatility has been recognized. However, inadequate government agricultural extension budgets and farmers’ high expectations for the provision of agricultural inputs raise the bar for intervention in the SHEP approach. The SHEP approach, however, is not a “panacea” that can solve all agricultural extension challenges in developing countries. Nevertheless, in order to continue agricultural and rural development programs/projects that promote farmers’ self-reliance, it is essential to continue to extract the outcomes and impacts of the SHEP approach at the field level and disseminate the effectiveness of the approach widely. Key words: agricultural extension, market-oriented, SHEP approach, smallholder, JICA, technical cooperation, Kenya, income

Seroprevalence of Bas-Congo virus in Mangala, Democratic Republic of the Congo: a population-based cross-sectional study

Bas-Congo virus (BASV), an emerging tibrovirus, was associated with an outbreak of acute haemorrhagic fever in Mangala, Democratic Republic of the Congo, in 2009. In 2012, neutralising antibodies to BASV were detected in the lone survivor and one of his close contacts. However, subsequent serological and molecular surveys were unsuccessful as neither BASV antibodies nor its RNA were detected. In this study, we determined the seroprevalence of BASV infection in Mangala 13 years after the initial outbreak. We conducted a population-based serological survey from Jan 17 to Jan 23, 2022. Consenting individuals at least 5 years of age, living in Mangala for at least 4 weeks, and who had no contraindication to venepuncture were enrolled. Participants were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. We supplemented the collected serum samples with 284 archived samples from Matadi and Kinshasa. All samples were tested for antibodies to BASV and other tibroviruses using a pseudovirus-based neutralisation test. Among the 267 individuals from Mangala, the prevalence of BASV antibodies was 55% (95% CI 49-61; n=147). BASV seropositivity odds significantly increased with age (5·2 [95% CI 2·1-12·9] to 83·9 [20·8-337·7] times higher in participants aged 20 years or older than participants aged 5-19 years). Some occupational categories (eg,farmer or public servant) were associated with seropositivity. Only nine (6%) of 160 samples from Matadi and one (<1%) of 124 samples from Kinshasa had neutralising antibodies to BASV. Moreover, we also detected neutralising antibodies to other tibroviruses-Ekpoma virus 1, Ekpoma virus 2, and Mundri virus-in 84 (31%), 251 (94%), and 219 (82%) of 267 Mangala samples; 14 (9%), 62 (39%), and 120 (75%) of 160 Matadi samples; and six (5%), five (4%), and 33 (27%) of 124 Kinshasa samples, respectively. Human infection with BASV and other tibroviruses seems common in Mangala, although no deadly outbreak has been reported since 2009. Exposure to BASV might be highly restricted to Mangala and the increasing prevalence of neutralising antibodies with age suggests regular contact with the virus in this city. Altogether, our findings suggest that human infection with tibroviruses could be common in the study areas and not associated with deadly haemorrhagic or debilitating syndromes. Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) and Japan Program for Infectious Diseases Research and Infrastructure from AMED.

Exploring the Potential of Geotourism with a Focus on Kahagolla Landslides Area in Sri Lanka

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Geotourism is a new type of tourism based on geological features. As such, the primary goal of this research is to identify the possibility of converting protected natural hazard areas into profitable Geotourism sites. A geologic hazard visible in the geological environment is a natural event that occurs within the earth's crust which poses a threat to life and property. One such example is landslides. The Kahagolle landslide area is 3.5 ha in size and landslide prevention and mitigation activities have been conducted here as part of a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project costing millions of rupees. The attractiveness and profitability of this location lie in the availability of different landslide mitigation methods within a single area. Located along the Beragala-Hali Ela highway (A16) in close proximity to Haputale and Bandarawela, the site has the potential to attract many domestic as well as international tourists who visit the central hills of Sri Lanka. This was an inductive study using field observations as primary data, and content analysis of published papers and NBRO documents that have been used as secondary, qualitative data. The main conclusion drawn based on the results is that there certainly is a possibility of improving this area as a Geotourism site aimed at foreign and local tourists mainly for educational purposes. The recommendation is to build an information center with the capacity to raise awareness and enhance knowledge about the history of this landslide, the geological quality of the area along with details of the mitigation project. As such, tickets could be issued, and the site arranged into zones from top to bottom while the methods used could be shared with visitors.&#x0D; Keywords: Geotourism, Landslides as tourist sites, Mitigation activities&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Practice for Continuous Effect of Technology Transfer in Bridge Maintenance and Management

As part of international cooperation efforts by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan has implemented technical cooperation projects for bridge maintenance and management in several countries. The authors conducted technology transfer for bridge inspection and repair in technical cooperation projects in Egypt and the Philippines. This paper describes the past shortcomings and future support methods required based on these efforts as well as maintenance efforts in Japan. At the organizational level, we examined goals and strategies for fostering “effective ownership” and the nature of the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Action) cycle, including effectiveness measurement. At the individual engineer level, we examined the need to accumulate and pass on experience. Through these studies, the sustainable management cycle was examined. As a result, the studies identify the importance of flexibility in project monitoring and revision. It is necessary to determine the evaluation period based on actual achievement rather than time constraints. Besides, it is important to elastically reconsider indicators even at higher levels as well as effective countermeasures.

A Comparative Study Between Organic Agriculture for Vegetables and Fruits Production in Lao PDR and the MRL Approach Used by Other Countries in the Mekong Region

Food safety and the reduction of chemical use in agriculture, in particular, are common issues that reflect consumer concerns in many developing countries. This paper summarizes the history of the development of Organic Agriculture (OA) in Lao PDR, followed by the outline of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Clean Agriculture Development Project (CADP) which supports organic vegetables and fruits production under the clean agriculture policy promoted by the Lao government. Next, the relevant policies of its neighboring countries in the Mekong region (Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia) are also summarized. The policies in these countries focus mainly on reducing chemical residues based on the Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) rather than promoting OA, which has recently been included in their national policies in response to social demands for chemical reduction in agriculture. Finally, the paper compares the approach of Lao PDR and other countries in the Mekong region. As a result, the Lao approach can contribute to improving both food safety and income generation of farmers. In contrast, the MRL-based approach has some limitations due to its insufficient operations under the regulatory systems in these countries. This suggests that the Lao approach should be taken into consideration by other developing economies where small-scale farmers are the majority.

Assessing Water Quality Spatial Heterogeneity from Multiple Pollution Sources in the Boung Cheung Ek Wetland, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, as with many other world megacities, is exposed to multiple major ecological and environmental hazards. Without a proper wastewater treatment facility, it is difficult for local residents to obtain a health-compliant water supply. In this study, a hybrid aggregation method using principal component analysis (PCA) and weighted means was used to calculate a water quality index (WQI) to map the water quality of the entire Boeung Cheung Ek (BCE) wetland region. We used Universal Kriging to map eight water quality parameters: DO, pH, TDS, F, Cl, NO3−, PO43−, and NH4+. The restricted maximum likelihood method was used for model fitting. Data were collected from groundwater and surface water for different rainfall seasons between March 2017 and February 2018. The principal component analysis (PCA) used to compute a water quality index (WQI) is based on the resulting dimensions of the highest variation among all water quality parameters. The results show that the northern part of the study area has a worse water quality than the southern region, which is caused by the discharge of municipal wastewater directly into the BCE wetland area. The results for different rainfall seasons also show that groundwater has a relatively better quality than surface water. The results of this analysis can serve as a supplementary study to support sustainable development goals because they might confirm the need for a wastewater treatment facility being under construction at the time of writing this article with funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Lessons from the "Humanization of Childbirth" Projects: Qualitative analysis of seven projects funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The "Humanization of Childbirth" Project is one of the various maternity care models that respect women and their newborn children. For more than a quarter of a century, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been implementing technical cooperation projects worldwide that place the humanization of childbirth at the center of the concept. By reviewing the project reports, the following 11 key processes were found for the formulation and implementation of future projects for the humanized maternity care: i) project-finding/exploration of unmet needs, ii) identification of local key persons, iii) organization of a project team and a back-up committee, iv) development of an action plan, v) sharing of concepts, vi) development of local leadership, vii) organization of infrastructure, viii) final evaluation and wrap-up seminar, ix) ensuring sustainability, x) development of younger generation experts, and xi) sustainable and autonomous action.

Africa and Japan: The World Seen through Assignment in and Evacuation from Sudan

On April 15, 2023, military clashes erupted in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF), and, although nine months have passed, the military conflict has not subsided. During this time, the lives of the people have been devastated and the country’s key infrastructure, including Khartoum International Airport, has been destroyed. What is happening? And how should we understand this situation? The author was posted in Sudan in February 2021 and fled the country with other Japanese personnel from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the midst of the military clashes in April 2023. As someone who has lived in Sudan, the author describes the current situation and JICA’s involvement in Sudan.

Does training benefits lead to acquisition of livelihood assets and change in social status? Evidence from training of rice farmers

AbstractLivelihood assets which are considered and recognised for their life‐supporting role contribute significantly and basically to the standard of living of people. These contributions as deemed more meaningful are considered necessary to farmers whenever an opportunity exists to diversify their investment. This study looked at how the benefits from increase in farmers' rice yield contribute to farmers ability to acquire livelihood assets to enhance their standard of living. A sample size of 265 from a population of 880 farmers trained by Japan International Cooperation Agency on sustainable rainfed low‐land rice production technology was used. The objective was to establish how proceeds from rice sale influenced the acquisition of livelihood assets by farmers to support their standard of living. Using spearman rho correlation, it was found that a strong positive correlation exists between increase rice output and livelihood assets acquisition. It is recommended that the technology should be disseminated nationwide specially in low‐land rice farming areas so that all farmers in the country could benefit.

A Case Study on Environmental Impact Assessment of Mumbai–Ahmadabad High-Speed Rail Corridor

This case study highlights some notable features of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan of Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor, India. The study reflects benefits, alternatives and probable impacts of the project. Also, suggestions and recommendations to apply as mitigation measures are discussed here. The study is based on a joint study conducted by the Ministry of Railways, Government of India and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Comparing travel behaviour characteristics and correlates between large and small Kenyan cities (Nairobi versus Kisumu).

Understanding urban travel behaviour is crucial for planning healthy and sustainable cities. Africa is urbanising at one of the fastest rates in the world and urgently needs this knowledge. However, the data and literature on urban travel behaviour, their correlates, and their variation across African cities are limited. We aimed to describe and compare travel behaviour characteristics and correlates of two Kenyan cities (Nairobi and Kisumu). We analysed data from 16,793 participants (10,000 households) in a 2013 Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) household travel survey in Nairobi and 5790 participants (2760 households) in a 2016 Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) household travel survey in Kisumu. We used the Heckman selection model to explore correlations of travel duration by trip mode. The proportion of individuals reporting no trips was far higher in Kisumu (47% vs 5%). For participants with trips, the mean number [lower - upper quartiles] of daily trips was similar (Kisumu (2.2 [2-2] versus 2.4 [2-2] trips), but total daily travel durations were lower in Kisumu (65 [30-80] versus 116 [60-150] minutes). Walking was the most common trip mode in both cities (61% in Kisumu and 42% in Nairobi), followed by motorcycles (17%), matatus (minibuses) (11%), and cars (5%) in Kisumu; and matatus (28%), cars (12%) and buses (12%) in Nairobi. In both cities, females were less likely to make trips, and when they did, they travelled for shorter durations; people living in households with higher incomes were more likely to travel and did so for longer durations. Gender, income, occupation, and household vehicle ownership were associated differently with trip making, use of transport modes and daily travel times in cities. These findings illustrate marked differences in reported travel behaviour characteristics and correlates within the same country, indicating setting-dependent influences on travel behaviour. More sub-national data collection and harmonisation are needed to build a more nuanced understanding of patterns and drivers of travel behaviour in African cities.

Structure and milk hygiene of dairy cooperative value chains in an intensive production area of Uganda—A bottleneck of intervention

In Uganda, informal raw milk sales dominate for domestic dairy consumption. This study was implemented to identify the structure of the dairy value chain starting from farms that participated in the Japan International Cooperation Agency Safe Milk Promotion in Mbarara project conducted between 2016 and 2019, to assess the hygiene conditions along the chain, and thereby identify the bottleneck of dairy hygiene intervention. A longitudinal study was conducted in 30 dairy farms in Mbarara District to compare the practice, prevalence of sub-clinical mastitis, and level of milk hygiene in 2016–2017 and 2019, before and after the milking hygiene intervention in 2018. California Mastitis Test was used for diagnosis with sub-clinical mastitis. Bulk milk samples were collected and a checklist was used to examine hygiene practices by observation. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 15 milk collecting centers using a structured questionnaire to quantify the dairy value chain, and to sample milk from cooler tanks in 2020. Microbiological examinations of bulk milk from farms and collection centers were conducted using six-point blood agar scoring and 3M Petri film, respectively. Participatory online appraisals with farmers and dairy cooperatives union were conducted to better understand the overall dairy value chains. The cooperatives sold milk to both formal and informal chains, but the sale of raw milk to Kampala was conducted by independent private traders. Within-herd prevalence of sub-clinical mastitis significantly decreased from 72.3% before the intervention to 25.8% after (p &amp;lt; 0.001). However, the farm bulk milk score did not change (3.3 vs. 3.2, p = 0.418). A significant increase in the total bacterial count was observed in the milk from collection centers (mean: 6.50 log10 CFU/ml) when compared to farm bulk milk (mean: 3.79 log10 CFU/ml; p &amp;lt; 0.001). Only 13.3% of the samples from the centers met the microbiological criteria for processing for human consumption. Our findings suggest that intervention targeted only at mastitis does not lead to better public health due to the low level of hygiene in transportation and milk handling in milk collection centers. Systematic interventions are needed to improve post-harvest dairy hygiene in Uganda.

Survey Activities in the Field of Healthcare in the Republic of Moldova Under the Ukraine Crisis by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) 2nd Team

Introduction:The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. UNHCR reported, as of April 6th, more than 4.3 million refugees have fled Ukraine, with 401,704 refugees arriving in the Republic of Moldova, around 100,000 of whom have remained in the country. JICA investigated whether Moldova's healthcare needs were burdened by accepting a large number of Ukrainian refugees, and examined the way to support them.Method:JICA dispatched the 3rd team as a survey team. The 2nd team consisted of two medical doctors, one nurse/midwife, one clinical engineer (CE), one Japan DMAT logistician, and two JICA staff. The dispatch period was three weeks when five major hospitals were visited in the capital, evaluating the current situation and the need for support for the future.Results:As of April 6, 2022, 3,853 people were staying in refugee accommodation centers, while the rest lived in ordinary Moldovan families. Evacuees, like Moldovan citizens, were covered by health insurance, and evacuees had access to medical care. Medical institutions were not overwhelmed by medical needs due to the Ukraine crisis. There was no epidemic of infectious diseases even at evacuation centers. However, since there was no system to share emergency information between hospitals, we held a disaster medical seminar to introduce the current situation of disaster support in Japan and supporting EMTCC.Conclusion:As a survey team, not only doctors but also nurses, midwives, and CEs surveyed, making it easier to understand the specific medical needs at medical facilities. Most of the evacuees stayed in ordinary Moldovan homes, and it is possible that avoiding a crowded environment at the evacuation shelters prevented the epidemic of infectious diseases.

Regional Program for Knowledge Co-creation on Disaster Health Management in ASEAN and Japan

Introduction:Knowledge management on Disaster Health Management (DHM) is one of the priority areas in the Plan of Action to implement the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on DHM (POA/ ALD DHM) (2019-2025). The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been implementing the Project for Strengthening the ASEAN Regional Capacity on Disaster Health Management (ARCH Project) since 2016 to assist the ASEAN region in strengthening coordination capacity on DHM. A regional training course on DHM for ASEAN member states (AMS) in Japan was proposed to be implemented in 2022 as a JICA’s Knowledge Co-creation Program (KCCP).Method:The training curriculum of the KCCP included emergency and disaster medicine in Japan, international trends on DHM, and underwent reviews by AMS representatives of the ARCH Project. Prior to the training, participants were required to prepare country reports (CRs) outlining information on legislation, system and structure related to emergency and disaster medicine, as well as systems to receive international emergency medical teams (I-EMTs).Results:The four-week KCCP course contained a trial implementation of a four-day training program for receiving I-EMTs and coordination among stakeholders in ASEAN disaster response, based on the regional standard curriculum developed by the ARCH Project, and invited experts in DHM not only from Japan but also from AMS as instructors. Participants analyzed and identified challenges on DHM in their countries, and developed draft action plans (APs) to improve the situation through the knowledge obtained from the program.Conclusion:The draft APs, the training deliverables, will be shared with the ARCH Project, and used to build a support mechanism to achieve national level targets of the POA/ ALD DHM, and the progress will be reflected in the CR in the subsequent year. The KCCP on DHM is expected to facilitate knowledge sharing in AMS and Japan, and contribute to fostering the culture of mutual learning.

Introduction of Emergency Medical Team Coordination Cell Assistance Activities in 2022 Moldova EMTCC Operation and Future Suggestions

Introduction:Emergency Medical Team Coordination Cell (EMTCC) was established in WHO Moldova Country Office to coordinate responding International EMTs in March 2022. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) sent an EMTCC assistance team to support the WHO-approved minimum data collection for emergency medical teams, Minimum Data Set (MDS), operations and other coordination activities. Introducing activities of the JICA EMTCC assistance team at the Moldova EMTCC will suggest future use.Method:EMTCC assistance team activities were reviewed.Results:There was a wide range of high-level administrative functions in EMTCC, such as planning, logistics, assurance and governance, and human resources. One of the significant functions was introducing MDS to the medical team and extracting the data summaries for reporting to the Moldova Ministry of Health. All these tasks require considerable time to manage and must be completed promptly for effective EMTCC operations.Conclusion:The EMTCC coordinator should function as a decision-maker to control the coordination of EMTs communicating with WHO and implementing the EMT initiative. In a disaster, especially in the acute phase of EMTCC activities, more high-level administrative functions will be required with immediate processing. Therefore, it is considered that the EMTCC assistance team should work with the coordinator as early as possible. In addition, all these EMTCC assistance team activities should be standardized and specified in the EMTCC handbook for future operation reference.

Effects of the community-based health planning and services on anemia and acute malnutrition amongst under-fives in Ghana: A comparative study.

Ghana implemented a community-based health planning and services (CHPS) in 2000 with the aim of bringing health services to the doorsteps of the deprived in the communities. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) supported the implementation of the project with a distinct approach in the Upper West region, employing supportive supervision. To investigate the impact of the JICA CHPS model on anemia and acute malnutrition prevalence amongst children less than five years of age. This is a quasi-experimental study design that compares the upper west region with the two other regions of the North implementing the traditional model of CHPS. We used the Ghana demographic and health survey dataset for 2003 as the baseline and 2014 as the follow-up year and employed the difference-in-difference approach. We find a reduction in the likelihood of anemia and acute malnutrition prevalence among children less than five years by 17 and 8 percentage points respectively. We find the project to be cost-effective, at a cost of $7 per each anemia prevalence averted. The results indicate that the JICA model of CHPS is cost-effective in the reduction of anemia and acute malnutrition prevalence compared to the traditional model. We recommend a nationwide expansion of the JICA model to enhance the reduction of anemia and acute malnutrition in Ghana.

New guidance manual for the monitoring and evaluation of aircraft noise in Vietnam with an experimental application to the aircraft noise monitoring at Noi Bai International Airport

Along with air traffic expansion, an increasing number of complaints from residents regarding aircraft noise from the airport operation has raised an environmental awareness of aircraft noise pollution in Vietnam. It is an urgent task for local authorities to assess aircraft noise exposure reliably. Aircraft noise monitoring systems and suitable policies need to be developed for land use and flight operation control to reduce and prevent aircraft noise pollution. However, Vietnam has had no legal documents or instructions on measurement and evaluation methods or the equipment and monitoring systems for measuring and analyzing aircraft noise. Against that background, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has developed a new guidance manual to measure and evaluate aircraft noise within the cooperation project on Airport Environment Preservation and Aircraft Noise Monitoring in Vietnam. This project was implemented by the CAAV, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and RION Co., Ltd.. As a model case, a system of the minimum required equipment with four noise monitors for the continuous monitoring of aircraft noise was installed around Noi Bai International Airport. This study explains the formulation of the new guidance manual and discusses the analysis results of the monitoring data obtained from January 2019 to August 2021.

Method for the Rapid Creation of Bridge Database Systems and Practices in Developing Countries

In recent years, Japan has assisted in technique and capacity development for bridge maintenance and management in developing countries worldwide. Such projects are aimed at formulating maintenance and management plans, which include bridge inspection and repair techniques. However, because the current conditions of the bridges to be managed are not well understood, most developing countries have no effective data available for formulating bridge maintenance and management plans. To this end, the authors introduce a bridge database system that uses smartphones to collect bridge inventory data and implements a brief bridge inspection to help formulate bridge maintenance and management plans as a part of technical-assistance projects supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency in Kenya, Madagascar, and Tajikistan. Furthermore, a bridge database system that includes bridge inventory and inspection records can be established automatically during data collection and inspection work without any additional effort. This system is expected to contribute toward establishing a bridge database system in countries that have no inventory data or inspection records.

Gender, Culture, and Disaster in Post–3.11 Japan by Mire Koikari

Reviewed by: Gender, Culture, and Disaster in Post–3.11 Japan by Mire Koikari Margherita Long (bio) Gender, Culture, and Disaster in Post–3.11 Japan. By Mire Koikari. Bloomsbury Academic, 2020. xii, 196 pages. $120.00, cloth; $39.95, paper; $35.95, E-book. One of the most satisfying things this book does is reclaim feminism from a government policy called danjo kyōdō (男女共同), or gender coparticipation. Originally included in the Danjo Kyōdō Sankaku Kihonhō (Basic Act for Gender Equal Society, 1999), the concept gained new relevance after 3.11 when the Abe Shinzō administration adopted its principles to promote Japan as a champion of "gender and resilience whose expertise benefits other nations in Asia and the Pacific" (p. 45). Author Mire Koikari, a senior scholar of sociology and women's studies, performs close readings of disaster manuals for women issued by An-an magazine, Kurowassan magazine, trade presses, and the Tokyo municipal government. She shows how, far from promoting gender equality, the "risk management" and resilience (kyōjinka) discourses that proliferated after 3.11 call on women to embrace traditionally gendered care work and hold themselves, not the state, responsible for keeping families safe. Particularly powerful is Koikari's critique of a set of 2014 pamphlets issued by Abe's Gender Equality Bureau in English ("Learning from Adversity") and Japanese ("Danjo kyōdō sankaku [End Page 145] no shiten no bōsai, fukkō no torikumi shishin"). The pamphlets argue that, as the "chief agents" of resilience building, women must "share leadership roles in all aspects of the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) process" (pp. 44, 62). If women hold at least 30 per cent of leadership roles, the pamphlets maintain, then sanitary napkins and infant items won't be forgotten from stockpiled supplies, and childcare, eldercare, and sexual assault prevention won't be forgotten at evacuation shelters. Koikari points to the slippage between the terms "equality" and "coparticipation," noting that the former is missing from the substance of the policies and guidebooks and that the latter "sanctif[ies] maternal duties and obligations" (p. 65). Her point is that feminism should open spaces for thought and action outside neoliberalism and neoconservatism, rather than accept them as the status quo. She quotes David Harvey on the perverse cycle in which neoliberalism and neoconservatism reinforce each other, because atomization, individualism, and competition in a neoliberal economy create instability, insecurity, and disorder, and these in turn lead to nationalist calls for morality, solidarity, and tradition (p. 20). Reading calls for care work by women as calls for just this sort of nationalism and tradition, Koikari traces Abe's post–3.11 policy to a June 2011 symposium convened by women instrumental in crafting the 1999 Danjo Kyōdō Sankaku legislation. During and after the 2011 symposium, all advocated "gender coparticipation" in disaster recovery, all pressed the government to adopt their ideas, and all, according to Koikari, "consider their mobilization a successful instance of women's and feminist activism" (p. 69). Readers get a glimpse of what might have prompted Koikari to write her book when we read about organizations set up by these same figures. Launched after the success of the 2011 symposium, their groups Women's Network for East Japan Disaster: Rise Together! and Japan Women's Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (JWNDRR), became "conspicuous presences" (p. 69) at international events hosted by, for instance, the United Nations. They also "actively pursu[ed] partnerships with the University of Hawai'i, the University of Delaware, United Nations University, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)" (p. 69). What must it have been like for Koikari, a professor of women, gender, and sexuality studies at the University of Hawai'i, to have been asked to partner with the JWNDRR? It is an interesting question for feminist academics on the left these days when feminist discourses, in Koikari's words, are "increasingly appropriated to enable, rather than obstruct, the entrenchment of dominant political, economic and cultural dynamics" (p. 71). If indeed an offer of collaboration was made, I think we can assume Koikari declined it. When we...