Global COE Program - Kyoto University - In Search of Sustainable Humanosphere in Asia and Africa

Date: 9 August, 2011 15:00PM～
Venue: Room No. 330, Inamori Foundation Building, CSEAS, Kyoto Unveristy

Co-organized by G-COE initiative 2

Presentation:
15:00 - 15:10  Introduction
 

15:10 - 15:50
Mamoru Kanzaki (Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University)
Title: Forested landscape and human impacts in Southern east Asia

16:00 - 16:40
Ayako Sasaki (ASAFAS, Kyoto University)
Title: Forested land-use system through tea cultivation in northern Thailand
 

16:40 - 17:00
General Discussion
 

Date: August 3, 2011       13：30～15：30
Venue: Room No. 332, Inamori Foundation Building, CSEAS

Title: Formation and Dynamism of Secondary or Anthropogenic Vegetation:From the Two Cases of African Rain Forest and Savannah Societies

Presetation:
１３：３０－１３：４０Introduction
 

１３：４０－１４：２０　
Takanori Oishi （Center for African Area Studies (CAAS),Kyoto University ）
Title: Local people's multilayered perception on the diversity of tropical rainforest vegetation of Southeast Cameroon: Its comparison to modern ecological understandings
 

１４：３０－１５：１０
Yuka Tomomatsu（The university of Tokyo）
Title: Dynamics and Factors to Shape Vitellaria paradoxa and Parkia biglobosa Parkland:A Case Study from a Dagomba Area of Northern Ghana
　　

１５：１０－１５：３０
General Discussion

Date: March 27, 2011
Venue: Room No. 333, Inamori Foundation Building, CSEAS

Co-organized by CIAS and G-COE initiative 2

The details on Japanese website:
../article.php/20110327_ini2.html

Date: February 26 -  27, 2011
Venue: Shinrin’ai-So, Hozu-cho, Kameoka city, Kyoto Pref.

Host Organizations: Hozu-cho Jichikai, Kameoka city; Institute of Sustainability Science (ISS), Kyoto University, Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Kyoto University; Kyoto Gakuen University
Joint Organizations: Project Hozu River, Kameoka Municipal Museum of Culture

Detail :PDF >>

Date: February 5, 2011 13:30-17:30
           February 6, 2011 9:30-13:00
Venue: Inamori Foundation Building (Center for Southeast Asian Studies), 3rd floor, Seminar room, Kyoto
University

Detail :PDF >>

Date: December 3, 2010
Venue: Room Number 332, Inamori Foundation Memorial Hall, CSEAS
 

Title: Sustainable humansphere in changing China -from the viewpoints of environemtal pollution and eco-migration projects-
 

 

Program:
14：00　WANG, Liulan（Researcher, CIAS, Kyoto University）
 

14：10－14：50Yusuke Bessho （Researcher, Hiroshima University）
 

14：50－15：30 Kanako Kodama (Assistant Professor, Chiba University）
 

15：30－15：45　break
 

15：5－16：25　ZHANG Yulin（Professor, Nanjing University）
 

16：25－17：05　Isamu Yamada（Professor, Kyoto University）
 

17：05－17：20　break
 

Dicussion: 17：20－18：30
 

Organizer：CIAS, Kyoto University
Co-organizer: Iniciative2, G-COE program, Kyoto University
 

Contact： Takayoshi Yamaguchi
TEL:075-753-9619, FAX:075-753-9602
Email: tetsu@cias.kyoto-u.ac.jp

【Record of Activity】

Date: 13 July, 2010 (Tue.) 14:00～16:00
Venue: Small Meeting RoomⅡ, Inamori Foundation Memorial Hall, Kyoto University

http://www.cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp/about/access_ja.html

This seminar will be held in collaboration with Initiative 1 and 4.
 

 

Presentation:
Speaker1: Masaaki HIRAI (G-COE Researcher, CSEAS)
Title: Techniques and institutions of resources use in densely populated area: A case from Sereer of Senegal
 

【Record of Activity】
In semi-arid African regions, ecological and socio-economic factors related to livelihoods activities of the inhabitants all exhibit a high degree of uncertainty. In this research meeting, we examined how they overcome constraints to maintaining their livelihoods in such regions through case studies of Senegal in western Africa and Zambia in southern Africa. 

The first presenter, Masaaki Hirai, who is a GCOE Researcher, investigated the resource use and its sustainability that have allowed the agricultural Serer people to sustain a densely populated region in central-western Senegal from the viewpoint of indigenous resource use technique and social institutions. According to the report, the Serer, who have long considered land scarcity as a major challenge, have dealt with this issue by mixing the agriculture with the livestock keeping in the same cultivated land, as well as by enhancing soil productivity through management of Faidherbia albida, which is known for its soil improving abilities, as the dominant component of the vegetation on the land. However, in recent years, along with an increase in regional population, F. albida, which is used both as fodder and fuel, has been on a declining trend. In response, the Serer have been able to sustainably use F. albida by refining both of the pollarding technique and the social institutions related to its technical practice. It was pointed out that mass depletion of F. albida has been avoided not only because of such adjustments of technique and social institutions, but also because of a shared understanding among the community members regarding the importance and value of F. albida to their livelihoods. While human use of vegetation in semi-arid regions tends to be cited as a cause of desertification, the case of the Serer illustrates that it may, in fact, be the proactive management of the soil and vegetation that enables maintenance of a vegetative environment. 

In response, a number of questions were posed by the audience regarding the process by which technique and social institutions were developed. It seems that clarifying this process, while taking into account the social relationships among village members and the history of exchange with the outside of the community, will lead to a better understanding on indigenity of the agricultural techniques. 

The second presenter, Rumiko Murao, who is a JSPS PD Fellow, examined the livelihood strategy of refugees who had fled to western Zambia after outbreak of the Angola conflict in the 1960s from the viewpoint of social re-structure and activities by women to earn money. According to the report, the refugees have maintained the traditional common residential unit (limbo) social structure based on familial and marital relationships in their adoptive home, further strengthening the mutually beneficial relationship with respect to food consumption within the unit, and enabling them to stabilize their livelihoods. It was also pointed out that the opportunity for women to move frequently between limbos as a result of marriage or divorce, which is a unique characteristic of this social structure, contributes greatly to the cassava processing/selling activities carried out by women as a means of bringing in money. More specifically, knowledge regarding cassava production, processing technology, and cooperative selling networks grow with the movement of women. Although it has been assumed in previous refugee researches that migration leads to a disruption of livelihood, this presentation illustrates a case in which creation of a social structure that incorporates both mutually beneficial food consumption relationships as well as the social mobility of women leads to mitigation of the risk. 

A number of questions were posed by the audience regarding the unique social characteristic of limbo as well as how it functions as livelihood security. It was suggested that further clarifying the growth of cooperative networks within the community and the relationship to the influx of money (from the outside) would enable a better understanding of how this process helps to mitigate risk.
 

(Masaaki Hirai

Speaker2: Rumiko MURAO (JSPS Researcher)
Title: Reconstraction of livelihood strategies in high mobility societies of western Zambia: with special reference to cash income activities of women

* This seminor will be held in Japanese.

Date: July 7, 2010 (Wed.) 15:00～17:00
Venue: Room 330, 3F, Inamori Foundation Memorial Hall

Presentation:
Makoto Tani (Professor, Faculty/Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University)

Date: February 17-19, 2010  8：30-
Venue: FOA, NUOL, Nabong Campus
Organizer:Faculty of Agriculture (FOA), NUOL & Center for South East
Asian Studies (CSEAS), Kyoto University

 Program >>(2010/02/10 UP)

Program for International Workshop on“The Alternative value of
Traditional Agriculture for Education, Research and Development”
Supported by the Toyota Foundation and Kyoto University’s Programs,
namely “Global COE Program: In Search of Sustainable Humanosphere in Asia and Africa” and “International Networking Project to Cope with
Natural Hazards on the Periphery of Bengal Bay.”

 

Date: November 16, 2009 (Mon.) 13：30-15：00
Venue: Room 213, 3F, Inamori Foundation Memorial Hall

Presentation:
Yoshikatsu Ueda(Assistant Professor, RISH, Kyoto University)

Date: November 9, 2009 (Mon.) 14:30～16：00
Venue: Room 332, 3F, Inamori Foundation Memorial Hall

Presentation:
Fumito Koike (Professor, Yokohama National University)

Note:
Please contact Fujita Motoko, G-COE Researcher,
fujita[at]cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Date: October 30, 2009 (Fri.) 15：00
Venue: Room 322, 3F, Inamori Foundation Memorial Hall

Theme:
The custom change and its impacts on agriculture in rural Tanzania:
Focusing on land use and labour securing
 

Presentation:
1. Yuko Yamane (International Cooperation Center for Agricultural Education (ICCAE))
Title: Relationship between land use and land tenure based on Kinship which are observed in a Mountainous village in Tanzania
 

2. Yoko Ichijo (ASAFAS, Kyoto University)
TitleTransitional labour practice and farmers' livelihoods in rural Tanzania

Date: October 9, 2009 (Fri.) 16：00～18：00
Venue: Room 213, 2F, Inamori Foundation Memorial Hall

Presentation:
Kozan Osamu (Associate Professor, CSEAS,Kyoto University)

 

Record of Activity>>

Date: July 23, 2009 (Thu.) 9：30～11：00
Venue: Room 331, Inamori Foundation Memorial Hall

Presentation:
Mr. JOKO SULISTYO (RISH,Kyoto University)

 

【Summary】
An improvement of traditional charcoal is necessary in order to meet the requirements of charcoal properties for the development of engineering materials. The status of charcoal in Indonesia can be considered from the perspectives of energy uses, providing job opportunities, giving income and contributing to cleaning up the environment. Additionally, charcoal currently has been receiving a great deal of interest for engineering applications. The development of charcoal for engineering materials should utilize biomass residue from forest plantations and crop estates. The strategy for the utilization of traditional charcoal for engineering materials is to first give additional heat-treatment on the traditional charcoal in order to improve its characteristics and, second to introduce a better charcoal kiln.
 

【Record of Activity】
In the development of the carbonization process to improve the properties of traditional charcoal, it is necessary to meet the requirements of engineering applications, it is expected that several by-products such as smoke, liquid, tar, etc, will also produced. Therefore, the carbonization process will give maximal benefits to the local people and to potential consumers in the industries that use carbons as raw material. Up to now, the development of carbonization by introducing the improved charcoal kiln to local people has not been successful due to the lack of expectation of opening and assuring the market. Most of the traditional charcoal makers still prefer to take traditional methods with lower capital requirements and sell their products at the local market.
 

Actually it is difficult to establish the connection between advanced and local technology in the engineering material development from traditional charcoal. There are two ways in which charcoal, which is appropriate for engineering applications, can be provided. First, the traditional charcoal is collected from local people and then the industrial user conducts additional heat treatment by using pulse current technology which is carried out a heating rate of 250 ºC/min up to 700 ºC. The heat treatment is conducted at 700 ºC for a few minutes. Heat treated charcoal is suitable for the production of carbide ceramics. Secondly, the improvement is done by introducing a better and new charcoal kiln which also produces by-products. It is expected that the charcoal produced is appropriate for these requirements. These strategies are also to be implemented in other developing countries, since there are similarities in the traditional charcoal methods.
 

Charcoal in Indonesia is produced by large scale enterprises, as well as the production by small scale traditional charcoal makers. The large scale enterprises commonly use mangrove wood as their raw material and produce bulk charcoal for special purposes such as for barbeques, etc. Mostly the charcoal is sold overseas. However, the reforestation of mangrove forest is difficult, thus causing a decrease in mangrove forest resources after they have been exploited for charcoal production over the last decade. Therefore, in the future, it is expected that the large scale enterprises will become interested in the development of advanced material from charcoal by using biomass residue.
 

From the view point of forest resources, the sustainability of forest management has to be considered in the utilization of biomass residue. Therefore, the utilization of biomass residue should not reduce the forest resources. This can be managed by using the residue limits on the biomass growth in the forest or crop estates.
 

( Toshimitsu Hata)

Date: June 19 (Fri.)，2009 　16:00
Venue:Inamori Foundation Memorial Bldg., Meeting Room 332,
Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University,


Presentation:
Maki Fukushima (Shimane Prefecture Mountainous Region Research Center and The Center for Integrated Area Studies (CIAS), Kyoto University )

Date: April 17 (Fri.)，2009 　16:00～18:00
Venue:Inamori Foundation Memorial Hall, Meeting Room 332,
Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University,


Commentator: Masatoshi Sasaoka, Ph.D. (Japan Wildlife Research Center)

Title: Interrelationship between Humans and Wildlife Created through Arboriculture
- Focusing on Semi-Natural Forests in Seram Island , Eastern Indonesia -

Date: February 9(Mon.)，2009 　14：30-17：00
Venue:Inamori Foundation Memorial Hall, Large Meeting Room (3F),
Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University,

Kyoto University Global-COE Program In Search of
Sustainable Humanosphere in Asia and Africa
Paradigm Formulation Group and Initiative 2 Joint Seminar

Invited Speaker: P. K. Ramachandran Nair (Florida University)

Commentators: Shinya Takeda (Graduate School of Asian African Area Studies, Kyoto Univ.)
Oekan Soekotjo Abdoellah (Center for Southeast Asian Studies)

Abstract:
Modern industrialized farming and forestry systems may look good if we
look only at their production benefits and ignore the costly social
and environmental side effects. The emphasis on a selected few species
of plants and heavy use of chemical inputs for maximizing their
production has caused serious environmental problems, and the
promotion of large-scale farming at the cost of smallholder systems
has serious social ramifications. By adopting these systems to meet
today's needs, we are seriously compromising the ability of future
generations to satisfy their needs.  A serious casualty in the push
for such single-commodity paradigms is the age-old practices of
growing crops and trees together. Although many of which have stood
the test of times and are still being practiced, they are often
ignored in development paradigms. During the past thirty years,
however, the positive benefits of integrated land-use systems such as
agroforestry to the producer and the environment have gradually been
recognized.
The time has arrived for utilizing the benefits of the remarriage of
crops and trees in addressing some of the major threats facing the
world today, such as food- and nutritional security, eroding soils,
and expanding deserts.  Above- and below-ground diversity of ecosystem
processes facilitated by such mixed-species stands provides more
system stability and resilience at the site-level, and connectivity
with forests and other landscape features at the landscape- and
watershed levels. Agroforestry has also been recognized as a
greenhouse-gas mitigation strategy under the Kyoto Protocol. Recent
research under a variety of environments has confirmed the premise
that agroforestry systems have the potential to enhance carbon (C)
sequestration in soil compared with treeless (agricultural) systems
because of the ability of trees to store C in their deep roots.
Too often, we treat agriculture and forestry separately, yet these
sectors are interwoven on the landscape and share many common goals.
In order to meet society's needs and aspirations for
tree/forest-derived goods and services, we need a paradigm shift: we
must find ways of embracing the principles of agroforestry and other
integrated systems. "Business as usual" is no longer an option.

About Speaker:
Prof. Dr. PK Nair is a pioneering researcher and educator and a world
leader in agroforestry.  He is Distinguished Professor and Director of
the Center for Subtropical Agroforestry at the University of Florida,
Gainesville, Florida, USA. A native of India, he was educated in
India, England, and Germany.  Working as a multiple cropping
agronomist at the plantation crops research institute in southern
India during the 1970s, Dr. Nair developed the multistory cropping
with tree crops, now acclaimed as a sustainable agroforestry system.
During the late 1970s, he became one of the founders of ICRAF (World
Agroforestry Centre), Nairobi, Kenya, where he worked for nine years.
He has received numerous honors and awards including four honorary
Doctor of Science degrees (Universities of Kyoto, Japan; Kumasi,
Ghana; Guelph, Ontario, Canada; and Santiago de Compostela, Spain);
Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
(AAAS); IUFRO (International Union of Forest Research Organizations)
Scientific Achievement Award; and the Humboldt Prize, Germany, 2006.
He has authored/edited 12 books and nearly 200 research papers; and
has extensive international experience. He was Editor-in-Chief of
Agroforestry Systems journal for 11 years, and is currently the editor
of the book series Advances in Agroforestry (Springer Science). A
major area of his current research is soil carbon sequestration in
agroforestry systems.


Recent Publications
P. K. R. Nair et al. (Edited)  2004 New Vistas In Agroforestry: A
Compendium For The 1st World Congress Of Agroforestry, (Advances in
Agroforestry). Kluwer.

B. M. Kumar & P. K. R. Nair (Edited) 2006. Tropical Homegardens: A
Time-tested Example of Sustainable Agroforestry (Advances in
Agroforestry) Springer.


Land-Use System Sustainability: Business as Usual?
By
SHINOHARA, Naoki
KANZAKI, Mamoru
P. K. Ramachandran Nair

【Record of Activity】

P. K. Nair tried to illustrate the potential of agroforestry as integrated land-use, which contributes to preventing the degradation of cropland, increasing the capacity of the carbon pool, and enabling the sustainability of crop production, etc. Examples of such synergistic effects of agroforestry were introduced. The results of recent studies conducted by his research team on the carbon sequestration potential of agroforestry systems were also introduced. He reported that the benefits of integrated land-use systems such as agroforestry to the producer and the environment have gradually been recognized over the past thirty years. He emphasized that the time has arrived for utilizing the benefits of the combination of crops and trees in addressing some of the major threats facing the world today, such as food- and nutritional security, eroding soils, and expanding deserts. He said, "Agriculture and forestry have been treated separately. However these two industries and land-uses are interwoven on the actual landscape and share many common goals." He concluded now is a time when we must find ways of embracing the principles of agroforestry and other integrated systems. "Business as usual" is no longer an option.

Two commentators, Shinya Takeda (ASAFAS, Kyoto Univ.) and Oekan Soekotjo Abdoellah (CSEAS, Kyoto Univ.), followed Nair. Takeda introduced an example of an agroforestry system in Lao PDR where lac scales were introduced as a substitute for the shifting cultivation. He analyzed that the successful introduction of the agroforestry system was possible because of the increasing demand for lac in the Chinese market. His talk clearly suggested that the economical background is quite important for the successful introduction of the system.

Oekan reported on the current situation of traditional home-garden systems in Indonesia. The commercialization of agriculture has resulted in the conversion of traditional home-gardens into cash crop fields on Java Island. Although the awareness of agroforestry is increasing in the world, many of the non-commercialized traditional cropping systems may face economical difficulties.

From the floor, doubts about the generalization of the positive effects of agroforestry on productivity and the economy as a whole were raised. The importance of macro-economical analyses was also pointed out from the floor.

The positive points of agroforestry were emphasized by the researchers from the 1970's onwards. The system, however, has failed to become a major landscape in tropical countries. As Nair pointed out, however, in the face of global climate change and sustainability issues "business as usual" may not be an option in agriculture. The Second World Congress of Agroforestry will be held in Nairobi in August 2009. Further extension of integrated land-use as one of the tools for sustainability is currently anticipated.

(Mamoru Kanzaki and Ayako Sasaki)

Date: November 12, 2008 (Wed.) 15：00〜18：00
Venue: Seminar Room 407, 4th floor of common building, CSEAS

Presentation:
Masami Okamoto (Nihon University)

 

Contact:
If you have any inquires, please contact Yasuyuki Kono (Professor, CSEAS) by e-mail.

 

【Record of Activity】
In this seminar, Dr. Masami Okamoto, who has worked as an advisor on hydraulic projects around the globe, discussed a wide variety of topics concerning water use and adjustments in water use in various countries. The following is a summary of the issues discussed with the participants.

The difficulty of making adjustments to water use in the tropical Asian monsoon region stems from the existence of rainy and dry seasons. While rice fields are irrigated during the rainy season, irrigation is carried out during the dry season too to allow a semiannual crop, making it necessary to manage water resource distribution between the rainy and dry seasons. In the Chao Phraya Delta in Thailand, the use of water for power generation and the expansion of irrigated areas have made the adjustment of water use even more complicated.

The difference between humid and arid areas can be explained by differences between the actual evapotranspiration (actual amount of evapotranspiration) and potential evapotranspiration (amount of evapotranspiration in a situation where the ground surface is sufficiently humid). In a humid area, the difference between the two is small and there is no room for evapotranspiration to increase even if irrigation is introduced. Most of the water drawn from rivers for irrigation eventually flows back to the rivers. On the other hand, in an arid area, the difference between the two is large, and the actual evapotranspiration increases markedly with the introduction of irrigation. The water drawn from rivers for irrigation is discharged into the atmosphere through evapotranspiration and does not return to the rivers. This problem can be seen in the case of the Aral Sea.

The introduction of Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) is a prerequisite for receiving loans from the World Bank. It is said that irrigation management in Japan served as a model for Participatory Irrigation Management. Farming village society in Japan was built on the premise of water use, and water use organizations were an integral part of the farming village society from the very beginning. Water use organizations in Japan were supported institutionally. The equality of water distribution was made possible largely by the existence of a village responsibility system (murauke seido) where each village as a whole had the duty to pay tributes in the form of rice, and it can be said that the water use organizations were supported also by this system. Thus, Participatory Irrigation Management cannot function in societies without such a background, where water use organizations are set up as a completely separate system from the village community. However strong a village community is, if it is not an organization premised upon water use, it cannot exercise control over use.

In response to the presentation, participants explained cases of water use adjustments in their own study fields. Suggestions were also made. They included one suggestion that the typification of agriculture in various places of the world might be possible using indices such as the number of months with heavy rain and topology or the actual evapotranspiration/potential evapotranspiration and temperature; and another that it might be possible to classify water use forms based on whether there is dry-season rice growing and water use organizations.

(Keisuke Hoshikawa)

Date: July 4, 2008 (Fri.) 10:30 - 12:00
Venue: Room 307, 3th floor of common Building, CSEAS

 

Presentation:
1. Dr. KRISTINA TODERICH
(International Center for Biosaline Agriculture [ICBA- CAC sub-office, Tashkent , Uzbekistan])
Title: 「Biosaline Agriculture approach: from problem to opportunity (case study
ICBA-CAC 2004-2008)」

2. Dr. Muhiddin Khujernazavoh (Uzbekistan Science Academy, Samarkand Branch)
Title:「Petroglifis in Centaral Asia」

This seminar is a joint seminar with Uzbekistan research projects.

Dr. Kristina is endeavoring to conduct research based on the interaction between local technologies and frontier technologies in Central Asia/Caucasia, especially Uzbekistan. Her research focuses on the implementation of a xeric plant in the areas covered by the dry and halophilic lands as well as, the issue of providing new agricultural technologies (for a sustainable humanosphere) for the farmers in these areas. Several seminars regarding agriculture technologies are held regularly each year and her activities are indeed beyond those of a scholar.

Dr. Muhiddin is Dr. Krstina’s husband and an archaeologist covering the region of Central Asia. He was born and grew up in Uzbekistan and is very much familiar with the region’s indigenous cultures. Currently he is analyzing a specific culture from a specific period based on paintings drown at the remains of ancient structures.

This seminar is co-organized by Initiative 2.

Date: June 27, 2008 (Fri.) 16:00 - 18:00PM 
Venue: E107, 1st floor of East Building, CSEAS

Presentation:
Runako von Luebke (Tha Australia National University)

Title: Transformation of village agriculture in the mountainous regions of the northwestern part of Thailand: Influence of market-oriented factors on traditional farming

【Record of Activity】
The features and issues regarding the process of transformation of agricultural form in villages scattered in the mountainous regions of the northwestern part of Thailand during the past several decades can be grasped more clearly by looking at the process viewed as friction between the following two incompatible vectors of economic activities: “maintenance of subsistence of upland and wet rice growing” and “introduction of cash-crops and non-farm activities.” In other words, the former is a traditional farming-type vector and the latter a market-oriented type vector. It can be said that the abovementioned dynamics of agricultural transformation is an expression of the process of trial and error by people in the mountainous regions seeking an “optimum trade-off” between the two vectors.

 

The development of the Karen mountainous regions has been discussed within the dichotomy between the emphasis on culture, centering around political activities declaring the validity of “rotational swidden cultivation” (rai mun wian in Thai) and the emphasis on economics that is its antithesis, so-called “Karen Consensus,” which cites the accompanying negative effects of the cultivation method. In order to understand the present situation and challenges stemming from the transformation of the agriculture of mountainous regions, however, it is necessary to consider both of the arguments in a complementary way.

From this perspective, this study examined five villages in the mountains (three Sgaw villages, one Pwo village, and one Kayah village) inhabited by Karen people located in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand as the subject of the study and focus on the four major occupations of the Karen people: (1) swidden cultivation for upland rice farming; (2) paddy; (3) cash-crop farming; and (4) waged labor, to demonstrate various aspects of economic activities in different environments. Based on this we sought to elucidate the practical occupations of Karen people.

(Masayuki Yanagisawa)

Date: June 17, 2008 (Tue.) 1300 - 14:30PM 
Venue: E207, 2nd floor of East Building, CSEAS

Title: Simulating the Solar Power Satellite (SPS) 2000 System operation: From field surveys in countries around the equator

Presentation:
Patric Collins (Azabu University)

【Record of Activity】

At the 1991 SPS research conference, a proposal by Japanese researchers was recognized as having the greatest potential for realization of an operational demonstration of the “SPS2000” solar power satellite. The proposal entailed launching a solar power satellite into low earth orbit above the equator which would provide power to countries and regions along the equator. The power generation panels have been improved, and furthermore, because the rectennas (receiver antennae) would be wires or mesh construction, land where they were installed could be used for agriculture or other uses. Aside from the publication of many research articles regarding SPS2000 in 12 countries, the project’s originators, Prof. Matsuoka and Prof. Collins, have visited many of the equatorial countries where they have repeatedly consulted with researchers and government representatives regarding the implementation of SPS. The countries visited include: Tanzania, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Indonesia, Ecuador, the Maldives, Malaysia, Columbia, Nauru, Kiribas, Gabon, and Sao Tome and Principe. As a result, representatives from each of these countries have expressed interest in the project and numerous sites for rectenna installation have been considered.

There are 3 recent developments which should be highlighted.

1. From a technical standpoint, the greatest risk lies in the assembly of the power generators in space. However, the European Space Agency (ESA) in cooperation with the Russian Federal Space Agency are planning to have a Soyuz rocket, capable of manned flight along an equatorial orbit, ready for launch at the Kourou Space Center in Guiana in 2009. If this becomes a reality, it will be possible to reduce the risks associated with power generator assembly.

2. India and China, which have an intrinsic high demand for energy, should be included in the list of potential of SPS energy recipients. For this to happen, the SPS transmission must cover up to 6 degrees latitude north and south of the equator. This would also bring the majority of African countries into potential range. Technical improvements are necessary to enable this increase in range.

3. While energy is related to a country’s security, it is hoped that SPS2000 will be a significant part of Japan’s peaceful contribution to the international community. Given the relative lack of interest by Europe and the United States in SPS, Japan’s role in this project is important.

(Masayuki Yanagisawa)

Date: May 9, 2008 (Fri.) 10:30AM - 12:00 
Venue:E207, 2nd floor of East Building, CSEAS

Title: Seasonal Changes in Rainfall in Southeast Asian Monsoon Region: Focusing on Multi-time Scale Phenomenon

Presentation:
Hiroshi Takahashi (Fronties Research Center for Global Change)

【Record of Activity】

Given that the tropics experience warm temperatures year-round, the seasons are differentiated primarily by precipitation. The large-scale seasonal change in precipitation is explained by the North-South movement of the precipitation zone called the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The ITCZ moves with the seasonal change in solar radiation, and broadly stated, the precipitation zone resides in the northern hemisphere from June to August and in the southern hemisphere from December to February. However, observing seasonal changes from satellite images, there is no readily apparent ITCZ belt, but rather seemingly random cloud activity. In the mean field, although it appears that winds from the North and South are converging, in reality they are small-scale (several km to several thousand km) precipitation events resulting from tropical disturbances such as typhoon. What is important is that if one observes one location over time, it becomes apparent that this location experiences rain periods lasting several days to several weeks. Taking the Northern hemisphere summer monsoons in Southeast Asia as an example, the weather at the beginning and end of the rainy period differs. It is becoming apparent that this is largely the result of precipitation due to tropical disturbances. In the pre-monsoon months of May and June, before precipitation events and the westerly monsoons begin, there are thunderstorms accompanied by severe rains. In the Mainland Southeast Asia, for example, before the start of the monsoon season, rains start to occur intermittently. Then, after a period of no rain in late June, in the later stages of the monsoon period, the tropical disturbances become more active. In other words, in monsoon regions, the daily change in rain events are controlled by a variety of tropical disturbances over the period of several days or weeks. The traditional theory of monsoons, which the precipitation being caused by westerly winds, could not explain the rains in September. This new understanding suggests that they are the related to tropical disturbances. It is necessary to consider the time-scale of tropical disturbances from appearance to dissipation, which can be on the order of days to weeks.

Regarding the long-term decrease in precipitation levels in the Mainland Southeast Asia during the last few decades, there is a theory that this is related to the reduction in forested area. It might be possible to explain this decrease in terms of a change in the number of tropical disturbances, that is, a long-term change of the number of typhoons hitting the region.

Also, by using tools such as TRMM, it is possible to resolve the detailed daily change in the spatial distribution of precipitation. It has become apparent that the mountainous regions of the Mainland Southeast Asia experience high levels of precipitation during the night.

As described above, it is possible to understand more detailed weather mechanisms by evaluating precipitation on various time scales, enabling us to understand the local agricultural systems informed by such precipitation conditions.

(Masayuki Yanagisawa)

Date: April 28, 2008 (Mon.) 15:00 - 18:00PM 
Venue:E207, 2nd floor of East Building, CSEAS

Presentation:
・Osamu Kosan (G-COE Asistant Professor, CSEAS)

・Xiaogang Sun (G-COE Reseacher, CSEAS)
Title: The Adaptation Strategy of Nomadic Pastoralists in the Global Age: unequilibrium ecosystem, vulnerability, and sustainability.

 

Date:April 23-26, 2008
Venue: Hilton Hotel, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
 

 

Date:13:00-16:00, February 25 (Mon)，2008
Venue:CSEAS Common Building 409

Presenters:
Prof. K. Palanisami (Tamil Nadu Agricultural University)
Dr. J. Muniandi (CSEAS, Post-Doctorial Fellow)
Dr. T. Sato (CSEAS, G-COE Research Fellow)

Date:January 18, 2008 (Fri.) 15:00-16：30PM
Venue: Room 409, 4th floor of Common Building, CSEAS

Presentation:
Manabu Kondo (Professor, Shiga University)

 

Date:December 4, 2007 (Tue.) 13:00-15:00PM
Venue:Room 207, 2nd floor of East Building, CSEAS

Presentation:
Yoshiko Kosugi (Assistant Professor, Faculty Graduate School of Agriculture)
Makoto Tani (Professor, Faculty Graduate School of Agriculture)
Mamoru Kanzaki (Assistant Professor, Faculty Graduate School of Agriculture)

 

 

 

Date:November 21, 2008 (Wed.) 10：00-12:00
Venue:Room 207, 2nd floor of East Building, CSEAS

Presentations:
Ikuo Tsunoda (Associate Professor, RISH)
Toshimitsu Hata (Lecturer, RISH)
Kozo Hashimoto (Professor, RISH)

Date: 5 Oct ，2007
Venue: E207, 2nd floor of East Building, CSEAS

Presentation:

 First, Yano Hiroyuki explained the approach taken by the Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH). He briefly introduced ten projects, ranging from acacia breeding to atmospheric observations in the industrial plantation forestry in Palembang on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. Then, Kono Yasuyuki explained the overall G-COE project and the significance of the research initiatives. Yanagisawa Masayuki and Mizuno Kosuke gave presentations on Initiative Projects 2 and 3, focusing mainly on hardware (such as the allocation method for research expenses, various benefits of the research, duties of the project members in terms of research findings and meeting participation. Hayashi Takahisa explained the issues relating to Initiative Project 3 and the strategy for acquiring external funds. Yano asserted that conducting specific research on plantation forests under Initiative 2 and Initiative 3 would open the door for practical interdisciplinary studies. He rightly argued that rather than having discussions such as, “It’s neither this nor that,” there is a need for a space where the humanities and science can be integrated in practice. In the second part, “Networking Session between researchers belonging to RISH and the Unit, and researchers in area studies” RISH mission researcher Fujita Motoko spoke passionately on the policy of carrying out research on the biodiversity of birds living in the plantation forest. This was followed by many questions, discussions and suggestions from the floor. Tanaka Koji then presented a summary of the activities of a community that pioneered the mixing of perennial crops in a forest park in Lampung, Sumatra. This activity can serve as a model for plantation forestry in Indonesia. The session became a promising initial “meeting place” for researchers in both the humanities and sciences to find partners.

(Takahisa Hayashi)