Japanese Panel Calls for Uniform Rules on Groundwater Use

Tokyo, Aug. 4 (Jiji Press)–A panel of experts at Japan’s land ministry has called on the government to establish nationwide rules to track large-scale groundwater extraction to prevent declines in groundwater levels and land subsidence, the ministry said Tuesday. Specifically, the proposal called for a uniform national reporting system requiring operators that extract groundwater above a certain scale to disclose their nationality, the location of aquifers, extraction volumes and intended uses. The panel also urged the government to consider legislation allowing authorities to order corrective action when groundwater withdrawals risk affecting other users. It said demand for groundwater is expected to rise in areas hosting semiconductor manufacturing hubs, which require large quantities of water, while some local governments have voiced concerns over groundwater extraction by foreign nationals. Only about 40 pct of local governments nationwide have introduced ordinances regulating groundwater pumping, leaving the overall situation insufficiently understood, the panel said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]