On May 22, 2025, the International Symposium “Nature, Culture, and Community: Rethinking Urban Connections from Kanazawa” took place at the Kanazawa Bunka Hall. As cities around the world continue to grow and evolve, the interconnections between nature, culture, and community are increasingly central to shaping sustainable urban futures. This symposium brought together local and international experts, as well as city representatives, to explore innovative approaches to urban ecosystem regeneration while respecting and celebrating cultural heritage.

The event began with opening remarks from Takashi Murayama (Mayor of Kanazawa City).

Keynote speeches followed, featuring:

• Yulia Rubleva (Associate Programme Management Officer, Urban Nature, UNEP)
• Ingrid Coetzee (Director, Biodiversity, Nature & Health, ICLEI Africa
• Wataru Suzuki (Director, Biodiversity Strategy Office, MOEJ)

Rubleva presented on “Urban Nature for People and Planet:  Restoring Ecosystems, Rebuilding Community”, and emphasized the growing recognition of nature’s critical role in building healthy, resilient cities. She stressed the importance of reconnecting cities with nature – not just for aesthetic value, but for their capacity to sustain life, foster culture and strengthen communities in this changing world.

Next, Coetzee presented on “Nature contributing to wellbeing, resilience, and connectivity in cities”, and showcased examples of urban initiatives that reflect strong links between ecological and human wellbeing, understanding the importance of partnerships and active community engagement.  

Suzuki discussed “Cities for a society harmony with nature,” highlighting that Kanazawa has historically coexisted with nature. He emphasized that to restore biodiversity, it is necessary to simultaneously promote green conservation and restoration, climate change countermeasures, sustainable production, and consumption reduction. He also offered valuable insights connecting global, national, and local levels – from the implementation of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), to Japan’s new national biodiversity strategy, and concrete applications of Nature-based Solutions at the local level.

The second half of the symposium featured a panel discussion moderated by Togo Uchida (Executive Director, ICLEI Japan), with contributions from:

• Dzheylan Safet Karaulan Sozuer (Architect & Urban Designer and Strategy Development & Program Coordinator, Istanbul, Türkiye)
• Anthony Paul Diaz (Superintendent/Director, Seattle Parks and Recreation, Seattle, USA)
• Francois Moreau (Head of Urban Ecology Agency, Paris, France)
• Kimberley Anne Statham (Director, Urban Forestry, Toronto, Canada)
• Laura Hernandez Rosas (Coordinator of Biodiversity Strategies, Mexico City, Mexico)
• Judith A. Oluoch (Kisumu County Executive Committee Member-Minister, Water, Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, Kisumu, Kenya)
• Juan Pastor-Ivars (UNU-IAS OUIK, Researcher, Kanazawa, Japan)
• Tetsuhiro Ikeda (Kanazawa City Culture and Sports Bureau, Cultural Property Protection Division, Kanazawa, Japan)

The panel theme was “Community-Led Urban Regeneration: Culture, Nature, and Global Perspectives.” Panelists shared case studies from their cities:

• Istanbul is advancing urban rewilding projects.
• Seattle is engaging community volunteers in nature restoration.
• Paris is ongoing the greening of the city hall square.
• Toronto approaches biodiversity restoration through reconciliation with indigenous communities.
• Mexico City is promoting the development and protection of urban nature through networks, women’s leadership, and community engagement.
• Kisumu community-driven efforts are supporting the recovery of Lake Victoria.
• Kanazawa contributes to ecosystem preservation through its water canals and garden systems, while promoting traditional knowledge and community efforts.

In the panel discussion, panelists – having participated in the pre-symposium site visits and workshops in Kanazawa, shared key takeaways and reflections on what they had learned and experienced. They spoke about the insights and inspirations they hoped to bring back to their own cities and contexts. The panelists praised Kanazawa’s unique water system and community lead fireflies conservation activities. The panelists also shared their challenges their cities are facing such as extreme heat, flooding, harmful pesticides, lake pollution and difficulties in securing funds. The panelists emphasized adopting a nature-based solution as well as increasing green and blue infrastructure would be the key to building a sustainable urban city. The discussion concluded that while each city has different challenges, community participation is critical to addressing biodiversity.

To conclude the symposium, Shinobu Yamaguchi, Director of UNU-IAS, emphasized that urban ecosystem restoration is fundamentally about people’s involvement – nature thrives when people are engaged. Referring to the examples shared by panelists, she remarked that restoring ecosystems also means restoring relationships – between people and place, between past and future, and among the diverse communities who share the same urban space.

The symposium was co-hosted by UNU-IAS OUIK, the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ), Kanazawa city. It was supported by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) Japan, Ishikawa Prefecture, The Hokkoku Shimbun. 

※Related article: Cities Share Solutions for Reconnecting with Nature & Culture | United Nations University

On June 27, 2025, the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS OUIK) conducted a citizen-participatory firefly survey in the Kikugawa area of Kanazawa City. This activity was part of OUIK’s SUN Project (Sustainable Urban Nature Project) and was co-hosted with the Kikugawa Community Center.

Prior to the survey, Mr. Mitsuhide Shinmura (Chairman of the Kanazawa Firefly Society, Secretary-General of the Ishikawa Firefly Society), gave a lecture. Drawing on his many years of experience in firefly conservation in Kanazawa, he explained in detail about the ecology of fireflies, the conditions of their habitats, and the importance of community-based conservation activities. He mentioned, “Fireflies symbolize the richness of urban nature. Water channels and gardens remaining in the community support the habitats of fireflies.”

Following his talk, Researcher Juan from OUIK explained the significance of “biodiversity” and “biocultural diversity” in urban environments. He introduced how familiar natural settings like water channels and gardens in Kanazawa are deeply connected to cultural practices, emphasizing that protecting and nurturing such urban nature contributes to regional sustainability.

A lecture on Fireflies and Biodiversity was held prior to the Firefly survey

Participants during the Firefly survey

After sunset, participants observed fireflies while walking along the Kuratsuki water canal and around garden ponds, with a map in hand. Fireflies were spotted near water channels and in private gardens, revealing that natural life persists even within the city. Participants recorded the number of fireflies observed at each point on survey sheets and submitted their results.

Notably, this year, fewer fireflies were observed compared to last year, likely due to climate and environmental conditions. Continued monitoring and record-keeping are necessary to track changes in the urban natural environment over time.

Through these activities, we aim to deepen understanding of biodiversity in urban areas and foster community efforts to coexist with nature.

Learning the Global and Local Dimensions of SDGs, Climate Change, and Biodiversity

On June 25, 2025, the first lecture session of the “Leadership Development Program for the Next Generation: Changing the World from Kanazawa, Ishikawa” (Youth Empowerment Program) was held at the Kanazawa Mirai no Machi Creation Center. Fifteen high school students selected from within Ishikawa Prefecture joined the session to explore global challenges such as SDGs, climate change, and biodiversity through both international and local lenses.

In the first half of the lecture, Dr. Akio Takemoto (Head of Programme and Administration, UNU-IAS), delivered a talk titled “Climate Change Policy and SDGs: What Are the Current Global Status and Challenges?” Dr. Takemoto outlined the Paris Agreement and the SDGs frameworks. He also explained how international treaties shape  domestic policies, discussed the risks associated with renewable energy, and addressed challenges in Japan’s energy and food self-sufficiency. Throughout his lecture, Dr. Takemoto emphasized the importance of youth participation in building a sustainable future in an aging society.

In the second half, Dr. Juan Pastor-Ivars (Researcher, UNU-IAS OUIK) gave a lecture in English titled “Addressing the Biodiversity-Climate Nexus through Nature-based Solutions — Kanazawa Model.” Starting from the close connection between climate change and biodiversity (the biodiversity-climate nexus), he presented practical examples of nature-positive urban development in Kanazawa. These included initiatives utilizing natural resources such as traditional gardens and shrine forests as green infrastructure, repurposing vacant land, and collaborating with local residents to conserve the environment. The lecture introduced approaches to applying international concepts like Nature-based Solutions, Just Urban Transition, and Climate Justice to local initiatives.

One of the most thought-provoking moments for the participants came with the question: “What does justice mean?” The students came to understand that climate change is not only about the environment—it is also a social issue, connected to population changes, gender equality, poverty, and international politics.

The next lecture is scheduled for July 9, where participants will explore regional issues and resilience using case studies of the Noto Peninsula earthquakes and heavy rain disasters

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OUIK is mapping information for understanding the relationship between regional nature and culture. We have published the booklets “Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi Maps” and “Kanazawa Nature and Culture Maps”.
We are collecting map information at different levels of prefectures and municipalities in the Hokuriku Region. With a focus on the keywords of biological diversity, cultural diversity and ecosystem service, we are creating tools for learning and information dissemination that meet regional needs.

Five years have passed since “Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi” was designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). OUIK has supported the revision of action plans and monitoring activities after the GIAHS designation.

Biodiversity monitoring activities in Noto, which are carried out in an area that encompasses four cities and five towns, focus on surveys of living creatures conducted independently by municipal governments and private organizations; a unified monitoring system to disseminate information related to biodiversity has not yet been developed.

In response to this situation, “Noto Biodiversity Society” was established by OUIK and Kanazawa University Satoyama-satoumi Project to contribute to Noto GIAHS through monitoring of biodiversity and related activities. The members of this society include people who belong to private organizations that promote the preservation of biodiversity and environmental education in the region, as well as researchers working in laboratories related to biodiversity in Noto.

On January 23, we announced the establishment at a meeting of Noto GIAHS Utilization Executive Committee and Noto GIAHS Promotion Council, in which OUIK participates as an observer. Through surveys of living creatures and related activities, the society will contribute to the preservation and monitoring of biodiversity and dissemination of information, in cooperation with the Council.

The book introduces unique roles and teachings of Japanese Gardens in Kanazawa City in a relation with human society and it is breaking new ground for Kanazawa’s sustainable future. 

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After one year since the 1st Asian Conference on Biocultural Diversity, a series of 2 inernational forums were held to explore the measurements to further promote the Ishikawa Declaration with international initiatives and East Asian partner. 

International Forum Series 1 (4/10/2017)

Biocultural diversity & satoyama: Effort towards societies in harmony with nature around the world.

International Forum Series 2 (15/10/2017)

Preserving Biocultural Diversity for Future Generations:Partnarship of East Aisan Countries.