2026 Water Cycle White Paper | Chapter 5FY2026 Water Cycle White Paper: Education and Workforce Development

Water is a precious shared asset of the public, has a high degree of public importance, and is closely connected to many aspects of people’s lives. To build an environment in which the public understands the importance of maintaining or restoring a sound water cycle and can take action, school education is promoted so that children learn from an early age about the importance of water and ways of thinking and acting that value water. Public awareness and outreach activities, including events related to Water Day and Water Week, also provide opportunities for all members of the public, including children, to engage with water and deepen their understanding of water and water sources.

Human resource development is considered a foundation of water cycle policy. Japan has accumulated advanced technologies, including integrated dam management, measures to prevent water pipe leakage, and seawater desalination using membrane treatment, as well as operational experience in appropriately managing agricultural and domestic water. This expertise needs to be passed on to the next generation through accumulated practical experience. Amid social structural changes, including changes in population size, concerns have been raised that shortages of personnel responsible for operating, maintaining, managing, and renewing water infrastructure, as well as conducting surveys, research, and technology development, could make it impossible to maintain appropriate management standards. As technologies become more advanced and integrated, the skills and capabilities of researchers and practitioners who use technology and information are also becoming more advanced and diverse; policy therefore aims to promote the circulation and exchange of personnel across domestic and international settings and professional fields.

(1) Promoting education on the water cycle (promotion through school education). Based on the Courses of Study announced in 2017 and 2018, education suited to students’ developmental stages was advanced, and relevant ministries informed schools about teaching materials and related resources. Learning materials created in FY2020 were used in science, social studies, integrated studies, and other classes at elementary schools nationwide, and practical examples were compiled in the “Casebook on the Use of Water Cycle Teaching Materials.” In FY2023, an exhibit set containing the teaching material content was produced, and a casebook with additional examples of traveling exhibitions has been published on websites and elsewhere since FY2024. Supplementary readers, videos, and other materials for junior high schools were also published from FY2024. In FY2025, the “Water Cycle Education Skills Improvement Course” was held at Miyagase Dam and the Miyagase Dam Water and Energy Museum for school teachers, water infrastructure managers, staff of social education facilities, local government officials, and other education professionals.

(Promotion of education through collaboration) Events related to Water Day were publicized through poster displays and information provided to water utilities and others. Teaching materials created in collaboration with organizations were used at schools, as well as in local government outreach classes, river and water museums, dams, and other venues. The exhibit set “Let’s Think About the Water That Cycles!” created in FY2023 toured 13 locations in FY2025, including water-related events, libraries, and wastewater treatment centers; its schedule was published on a website. A water utility awareness seminar was also held to help young people learn about the history and current state of water utilities, discuss what water utilities should be like in the future, and create messages for their peers.

At Kurita Industries’ Kurita Innovation Hub, students from Tokyo Gakugei University learned the basics of water treatment during a facility visit and examined how water treatment technology relates to daily life and industry. They took part in ion exchange and reverse osmosis (RO) tests to deepen their understanding of treatment processes, and considered the value and challenges of incorporating such experiences into school education. Environmental education programs incorporating perspectives from Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) were used to promote understanding of the water cycle and collaboration among diverse local stakeholders.

(Promoting education through hands-on field experiences) Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries experiences were promoted to increase understanding and interest in the multiple functions of farmland and the improvements it requires. In forests, information was provided about locations for hands-on activities, forestry experiences and forest classes were conducted in national forests, and the Children’s Forest Development Forum was held as a venue for presentations and discussions among those involved in forest environmental education. Field tours and outreach classes on flood control, water use, and the environment were also held.

(2) Human resource development through collaboration among industry, academia, government, and the public, and international personnel exchanges (human resource development through collaboration among industry, academia, government, and the public). Training was provided on laws, policies, and initiatives; the Groundwater Management Study Group and the Water Cycle Corporate Collaboration Fair were held; and water cycle advisers were dispatched. To expand private-sector disaster prevention and mitigation technologies that use forests into Global South countries, efforts to develop projects were promoted, including through the creation of an information hub. Meteorological disaster prevention advisers were appointed, meteorological forecasters received training, local governments’ disaster prevention challenges were identified and potential solutions were tested and evaluated, and local leaders were encouraged to make use of the advisers. Training and exercises also supported the development of local government employees.

The Youth Water Forum, launched in connection with the 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit, held the Water Future Conference 2025 in August 2025 and compiled a message on solving water problems through intergenerational collaboration. Six video works solicited from high school students in Japan and abroad were screened in the government exhibition booth at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, in September of the same year. Staff of local governments and other organizations involved in industrial water supply services received training covering fundamentals, policy directions, and emergency response. Meetings and training sessions for water administration officials, service providers, and others were used to share information and challenges and improve knowledge and technical skills. The registration-based certification system for forest instructors and related qualifications was also publicized.

People with expert knowledge of river environments and a strong commitment to river development were commissioned as River Environment Conservation Monitors to help conserve and create environmental features, promote orderly use, and conduct public awareness activities. River Protection Monitors collected information on illegal dumping, facility abnormalities, and other matters, and promoted river stewardship. Following the amendment of the River Act in June 2013, private organizations and others that voluntarily work on river environment improvement and conservation were designated as River Cooperation Organizations and positioned as partners of river administrators; this encouraged voluntary activities and advanced river management suited to local conditions.

(International personnel exchanges) In irrigation and drainage, cooperation was strengthened through activities of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) and the International Network for Water and Ecosystem in Paddy Fields (INWEPF), as well as bilateral technical exchanges with Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and other countries. Personnel were also dispatched to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Mekong River Commission, the Asian Development Bank, and the OECD, and JICA experts were sent to developing countries to develop personnel capable of working internationally.

The Yokohama Declaration adopted at the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), held in Yokohama in August 2025, affirmed the role of risk-informed development in reducing disaster risks in light of the increase in natural disasters in Africa. Thematic events included exchanges with international organizations and a commitment to contribute to solving water-related challenges in Africa. At World Water Week 2025 in Stockholm, held in the same month, Japan shared its initiatives for water-related disaster prevention. At Cairo Water Week 2025 in October 2025, Japan expressed its intention to lead discussions toward the 2026 United Nations Water Conference. At the OECD High-Level Risk Forum in December 2025, Japan communicated the importance of investment in water-related disaster prevention and other issues.

In water supply and sewerage, JICA experts were dispatched to developing countries to support the development of organizational structures and legal systems. Through JICA’s Grassroots Technical Cooperation Projects, Japanese local governments and other organizations developed personnel for operations and management. In collaboration with the Japan Sanitation Consortium, Japan participated in international discussions, including the Asia-Pacific Water Forum Governing Council meeting held in Thailand in December 2025, and shared Japanese expertise in wastewater management. JICA, which has participated in the Technical Committee of the Global Water Partnership since 2018, continued exchanges in integrated water resources management in FY2025.