Water Resource Forest Conservation Activities
- Water and the Environment
Contributing to the Supply of Safe Water through Water Resource Forest Conservation Activities
Not only do forests produce lumber, but other diverse functions include flood and drought alleviation and landslide prevention. Kubota contributes to the supply and regeneration of safe water through conservation activities in water resource forests.
A long-term slump in forestry has brought an increase in the number of poorly maintained forests in the upstream region of the Tama River in Tokyo, and various functions unique to forests, such as preventing sediment runoff and purifying water, have declined.
In response to the challenges facing the forests in the upstream region of the Tama River, Kubota, which committed to resolving issues in the fields of food, water, and the environment, agreed with the Tokyo Metropolitan Waterworks Bureau “Plan for Water Resource Forest Created by Everyone” and signed “Tokyo Waterworks -Corporation Forests” agreement.
Annually since 2017, 30 to 40 new 18 to 19 year- old Kubota employee trainees have been engaging in forestry activities in the 2.89 ha lot of the water resource forest, named “Kubota Forest”, in the upstream region of the Tama River. Forest conservation work participants experience includes weeding to support sapling growth and preparing the ground for new sapling planting. These experiences are opportunities to learn how water resource forests, the headwaters of the water supply we usually take for granted, are protected and the importance of conservation activities.
Additionally, Kubota is also participating as a cooperative company in the Aoshita-Mori Project, a public-private sector water resource conservation project in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, since it began in 2020.
In this project, the city of Sendai and private companies work together to conserve and nurture the water resource forest (a forest that stores water and regulates river flow) in the Aoshita Reservoir located in Kumagane, Aoba-ku, which is one of the sources for Sendai's water supply. In order to contribute to the provision of safe and reliable water to Sendai residents, activities that Kubota carries out include planting trees to contribute to forest conservation, cleaning up around water resources, and promoting PR that targets local residents.
Kubota will continue to contribute to the supply and restoration of safe water, and will further promote the development of a sustainable society and global environmental conservation activities.