2019 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Exploring the emergence and governance dynamics of nature-based solutions for enhancing urban resilience
| Project/Area Number |
19F19761
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| Research Institution | Utsunomiya University |
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Principal Investigator |
高橋 若菜 宇都宮大学, 国際学部, 教授 (90360776)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KISS BERNADETT 宇都宮大学, 国際学部, 外国人特別研究員
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-11-08 – 2022-03-31
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| Keywords | Nature-based solutions / urban / governance / case studies / SDGs research proposal |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Nature-based solutions (NBS) as means to tackle urban sustainability challenges in selected Japanese cities have been investigated through literature review, research meetings, informal discussions, study visits and a mobile lab - in the first four month of the research. It has been observed that NBS benefits are recognized and there is an interest in the applicability of NBS in certain research and civic circles - especially as a mean to address climate resilience and enhanced health and well-being in cities. However, knowledge and experience related to NBS governance and implementation is scarce, and in general not a priority on current urban agendas, which results in a slow uptake of NBS in cities as a mean to tackle urban resilience.
Through the exploratory research on the Japanese context of urban nature-based innovations, basic urban governance structures were identified and some key conditions were drawn up which enable and/or limit NBS implementation in Japanese cities with special focus on policies and socio-political actors. As a result of the exploratory research, three case cities have been selected (Utsunomiya, Sendai and Kumamoto), a case-study research template was developed and case study research has started in two of the three selected cities (Utsunomiya, Sendai) in parallel. Additional research frameworks have also been explored for the future comparative analysis.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
1: Research has progressed more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Given foreseen and unforeseen events, good progress has been made in the research. The progress of the research has been affected by two major issues: Covid-19 and language. The latter has been foreseen, and to the best of our capabilities has been dealt with continuously. Solution has been found in the form of a personal research assistant with good English knowledge who has been employed in the research project from mid-January 2020 onward. The other limiting event, Covid-19 has not been foreseen and created a great limitation, as it hit exactly the time when the period of conducting interviews with relevant representatives were to be started. In our judgement, it was not appropriate to reach out and ask people for their time in this critical time of the pandemic. This has halted and it is still halting the progress of the research at least from mid-February onward. It will most probably lead to less interview materials than we planned for, and most likely more input data from literature.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The research progress has been affected by Covid-19 and language. The latter has been foreseen, and to the best of our capabilities has been dealt with continuously. Solution has been found in the form of a personal research assistant with good English knowledge who has been employed in the research project from mid-January 2020 onward. The other limiting event, Covid-19 has not been foreseen and created a great limitation, as it hit exactly the time when the period of conducting interviews with relevant representatives were to be started. In our judgement, it was not appropriate to reach out and ask people for their time in this critical time of the pandemic. It will most probably lead to less interview materials than we planned for, and most likely more input data from literature.
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