2017 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Monitoring the bio-economy in Asia: Impacts, synergies and trade-offs on land-use and carbon stock change
| Project/Area Number |
17F17776
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| Research Institution | National Institute for Environmental Studies |
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Principal Investigator |
山形 与志樹 国立研究開発法人国立環境研究所, 地球環境研究センター, 主席研究員 (90239864)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
GOH CHUN SHENG 国立研究開発法人国立環境研究所, 地球環境研究センター, 外国人特別研究員
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| Project Period (FY) |
2017-10-13 – 2020-03-31
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| Keywords | Bioenergy / Biomass / Bio-economy / Forestry / Agriculture / Japan / Borneo |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
The research first focused on bioenergy scenarios in Japan. A group of experts from various research institutions was gathered in Jan 2018 to work on delivering integrated ecological, social & economic information to policymakers and practitioner communities in Japan. It assesses (i) future domestic biomass resources coupled with decentralized bioenergy system, (ii) impacts, synergies & trade-offs of different scenarios.
A workshop was conducted in Jan 2018 at UNU, and two workshops were planned in Tokyo. The first one gathered 8 experts and laid the foundation of joint research. For the future, one aims to gather 20-30 local experts from academia, public sector and industries to discuss local biomass potential, tentatively in June 2018. In September 2018, there are opportunities in an international workshop organized by IEA Bioenergy and NEDO, to co-host a session on future bioenergy perspectives in the region. The target audience is 80. Furthermore, a field study was also made to Sapporo in March 2018 to learn the establishment of decentralized CHP for district heating.
Apart from the research on Japan, a parallel study on Borneo was also kickstarted. An initial round of literature review has been completed, and more time and resources will be allocated on this study in the coming year. Meanwhile, there was also an invitation to co-author a paper about bioenergy development in Indonesia, and that paper was submitted in Jan 2018 to Land Use Policy.
Eventually, all research lines will be synthesized and the regional development of bioenergy will be analysed.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Originally for FY1 (6 months), it was planned to spend most of the time to get familiar with Japan and expand research network related to Japan’s bioenergy development. Activities included attending various workshops, conferences and meetings with Japanese experts. The results were prominent. Through extensive discussion with various experts, the fellow has sketched out the research background. An extensive network has also been built in order to collect the best available knowledge to answer the research questions. A co-authoring team was established to include various experts from different disciplines and institutions, including Uni Tokyo, Uni Tohoku, TUAT, Tokyo Tech, Renewable Energy Institute and others. Two meetings were held in 29 Jan and 6 Mar 2018 at UNU and extensive discussion has been continued through email exchange. The very first draft is expected to be completed by June 2018.
Meanwhile, the fellow has also carried out intensive literature review to develop method for another parallel case study on Borneo. Two senior experts on this topic (from Keio University and Australia National University) have joined as co-authors. The very first draft was completed and some plans for field studies in Sarawak and Central Kalimantan have been discussed. As a plus point, the fellow was invited to be a co-author of a paper on utilising degraded land in Indonesia for bioenergy production. The paper was submitted to Land Use Policy in Jan 2018.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Two case studies will be continued in parallel. One is the case study on Japan’s bioenergy development. It explores an alternative scenario on mobilising local biomass resources coupled with revitalisation of local forestry. By formulating 5 key questions, it attempts to identify available knowledge and knowledge gaps for the feasibility of such a scenario based on literature review and expert opinions through interviews, meetings & workshops. Field studies would be conducted in summer and autumn 2018 in several interesting locations (a visit to Sapporo was done earlier). The outcome would be a perspective paper with recommendations for both scientific communities and policymakers.
Another case study aims to review the development of large-scale exploitive land-based economies in Borneo and their transformational pathways for 1970-2018. Sarawak (Malaysia) and Central Kalimantan (Indonesia) which share similar land areas and population but different development pathways were chosen as case studies. The analysis will examine the key similarities and diversities between both, and the land development pathways taken by each territory were elaborated. Extensive field studies will be conducted between Nov 2018 and Mar 2019 to study how the development pathways were chosen through combined forces of system of government, extra-local intervention and ethnography.
The final challenges would be synthesizing all findings to draw the big picture of bio-economy development and its implication to the region.
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Research Products
(3 results)
