掲載日：2016年12月28日

FY2016 Capacity Building Course Held for Tianjin, China

The International Center for Environmental Technology Transfer, ICETT, conducted a Yokkaichi-commissioned training course for officials from the Environment Protection Bureau of Tianjin, China, and relevant Chinese organizations.
ICETT would like to express its gratitude to the lecturers, company staff, and local government officials for their cordial cooperation and support for the course. 

 

　1) Duration

　October 31 (Tues.) to November 12 (Sat.), 2016

　Note: This course was originally scheduled to start on October 30 (Mon.), but began the following day because the Chinese group arrived in Japan one day later than planned.

　2) Participants

　Four officials from the Environment Protection Bureau of the City of Tianjin, China, and relevant Chinese organizations

　3) Theme

　“Soil pollution control measures and technology”

　4) Outline

On May 28, 2016, China issued an Action Plan for Soil Pollution Prevention and Control. There is a need for urgent measures to be taken to improve the soil conditions in the country. In these circumstances, the aim of the training course was to help the participants promote soil pollution measures in Tianjin and draw up ordinances in the future by taking advantage of what they learned in this course. The course was also intended to provide them with opportunities to acquire knowledge and deepen their understanding of the soil pollution control measures, while learning about the Japanese Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act, related ordinances, and technology concerning management and survey methods.

The participants listened to lectures by officials from Mie Prefectural and Yokkaichi City Governments and learned about measures against soil pollution in the environment in general and on farmland. After an introduction to relevant laws and ordinances, they learned comprehensively about useful technology regarding soil pollution control measures, while taking lectures on designated survey organization-owned technology to rehabilitate polluted soil and methods to survey, monitor, and analyze contaminated soil.

Besides these lectures, the Chinese group visited a company in a Yokkaichi petrochemical complex. They took a tour of its chemical plant and learned about efforts made there against soil contamination. They also went to places in Mie Prefecture to learn more about actual soil pollution cases, efforts made in the field against contaminated soil and groundwater, and progress made in cleaning contaminated soil.

As part of the course, the participants visited the Yokkaichi Pollution and Environmental Museum for Future Awareness, which had opened in March, 2015, and the Yokkaichi City Clean Center, which had started its operation in April, 2016. They learned about the history of Yokkaichi, the historical background of the so-called Yokkaichi pollution, and the latest eco-friendly waste disposal facility.

　　　　　　　

 　　　　　　　　<Lecture scene at ICETT>　　　                         　　<At Yokkaichi Pollution and Environmental Museum

                                                                                                          for Future Awareness>

There was an opportunity for the Chinese participants to study example cases in other Japanese cities. They went to Kobe, also one of Tianjin’s sister cities, and learned about examples of soil pollution control measures taken by the city, while visiting the Kobe City Higashinada Sewage Treatment Plant.

There were comments from the participants as follows: “I believe what Yokkaichi has experienced in establishing environmental plans will greatly help us work on pollution measures in the future.”, “The soil contamination control technology explained by the lecturers was quite an eye-opener. After returning home, I am going to share my new knowledge regarding the technology with relevant tech sections so that they will make use of it.”, and “China and Tianjin just launched general surveys on soil pollution and clearly lack experience in various quarters related to environmental issues. It is necessary for China to strengthen the close cooperative relationship with Japan and ask for advice and instructions from Japanese experts. That way, laboratories seen in Japan can be introduced to China, too.”

 

　　　　　　　

<Experiencing the Japanese tea ceremony at “Shisui-an”,              <Commemorative photo after the training course>

a tea house in Yokkaichi> 　　　　 

Throughout the course, the participants actively exchanged their opinions. During a discussion at the end of the training, the Chinese group made a request to ICETT, saying that Tianjin has great needs for soil contamination control and they would like ICETT to actively offer opportunities to share information to help the Chinese city improve its environmental situation.

 

The purpose of this course was to encourage and promote advanced eco-friendly efforts to contribute to improving the environmental conditions in Tianjin. ICETT continues to actively promote activities and efforts to improve the environment, while providing environmental technology, management methods, and other related matters, which are owned by Japan.