Environment Conservation and the Problems of the Depopulated Communities in the Rural Areas

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We can notice the increase of marginal community and the extinction of rural community in present mountain areas in Japan. In depopulated mountain communities, there are not only problems of the aged people, but also environmental issues caused of abandonment of arable land and forest management.We carried out the survey mountain communities in Shikoku district, such as Ikegawa town, Kochi prefecture and etc, and examined the policy for revitalization and finally clarified 3 points as follows,1. First, the direct payment system that was introduced in Japan from April, 2000, was examined and several problems to be improved were clarified.2. Secondly, we proposed that early establishment of the direct payment system in forestry in order to revitalize the mountain communities.3. Thirdly, we pointed out that the inhabitants in mountain communities, have to establish identity for regional revitalization, in other words, enlarge inhabitant's ability of self management of their communities.As a result, we made it clear that the mountain communities are performing very important role in making an affluent society of "human being and nature".