Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism River Ecology Research Selected for Transfer to General Research in FY2022

On March 22, 2022, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism River Erosion Control Technology Research and Development Public Call for Regional Issues (River Ecology) decided to transfer to general research in FY2022 (15 million yen per year, up to 5 years) as a result of the review by the River Ecology Committee held on March 4. The research team consists of Professor Hakoyama Hiroshi (research leader), Visiting Associate Professor Leanne Faulks, Assistant Professor Kodama Sakie from the Institute of Freshwater Biology of Nagano University, Associate Professor Toyoda Masafumi and Associate Professor Iio Shoichiro from the Faculty of Engineering, Professor Tojo Koji from the Faculty of Science of Shinshu University, Director Yamamoto Satoshi, Department Head Ueshima Go, and Engineer Shimoyama Ryo of the Nagano Prefectural Fisheries Experimental Station, with Professor Kumagai Keisuke and Professor Takahashi Kazuaki of Nagano University and Professor Hirabayashi Kimio of the Faculty of Textile Science and Technology of Shinshu University as research collaborators. Researchers in the fields of ecology and river engineering will join forces and use the Chikuma River and Shinano River systems as a field to clarify the effects of disturbances in river ecosystems and the presence of river works on habitat continuity, and further on the health and sustainability of populations and communities. We also hope to develop automated camera observation devices and their power sources for identifying the movements and species of fish in fishways and waterways, as well as methods for evaluating the trade-off between flood control and nature conservation, such as evaluating the flood control and biodiversity functions of each levee and flood control basin structure, in order to contribute to rational river management management.