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To build or not to build
The houses and nature of Mitsumata Village may be submerged by plans to build the Kiyotsu Dam. 99.12.18/ Temperature: -2C/ Weather: Snow/ Wind Direction: NW
Start: Yuzawa Town 36 55 57 N 138 48 36 E
Destination: Naeba 36 47 55 N 138 46 41 E
Distance Traveled: 21 kmIt was brought to my attention last night that several of the villages I passed through today may be submerged under 170,000,000 cubic meters of water as the result of a dam which was planned in the 1960's. Problems concerning the relocation of residents, economic recession and the environmental impact of the dam have people anxious for action to be taken. Yesterday and today as I walked through the area to be submerged, I spoke with several people about the planned dam.
Climbing up and out of Yuzawa I began the initial ascent of Mikuni Road which will eventually lead me up and over the snow-filled mountains and out into Gunma Prefecture. The snow banks on either side of the road narrowed the shoulder so much that there was little space for me to walk. Weekend skiers zoomed by in both directions.
Mr. Sato is a member of the Yuzawa Town Assembly. Sitting in his dimly lit living room he shared with me his concerns about the Kiyotsu Dam project .
Mr. Morishita is a town assemblyman in favor of building the dam. "Plans for the dam began in 1966. A survey was done to project the demand for water. It was estimated that 35 tons per second would be necessary to support the future industries and farming of the communities downstream of the dam. These estimates were made at a time when industry was projected to expand infinitely. We know that this isn't the case. The estimated amount of water demand today is only 2 tons per second. In America dams are being torn down because it is obvious that the profits don't outweigh the expenses of dams. The environmental impact of the dam will be tremendous and the need for the dam has become unclear. There may be alternatives which could bring money to the region like reinvigorating the beech forests of the region. I think we need to re-assess the dam project."
While some people seek to re-assess the dam project, others are more positive about the prospects of the dam. "Located close to the ski resorts of Yuzawa, much of our villagers rely heavily on tourism," said Mr. Morishita, another town assemblyman that I happened upon in a small restaurant. "Now that Japan is in recession, the tourist industry here is in decline. Amidst economic recession building the dam and renovating the community is probably a good thing. Building the dam will create a lot of jobs and it will be a multi-purpose dam which protects Yuzawa from flooding and supplies a steady amount of water."
Both of the assemblymen each have their perspectives but one of the major concerns of the construction is the opinion of those living in the three villages to be submerged. The residents of the area also have mixed feelings. "I like living here and don't really like the idea of having to be relocated," said a waitress at a local restaurant. "The elderly of the community are particularly hesitant to be relocated. We'd have to move to a new place and make new friends. It would be like starting all over again and there are no guarantees that life will be better if we are relocated. Now we rely on tourism but if we are relocated we don't know what we'll do." She continued, "For people who want to get out of the countryside, compensation for relocation is very attractive. The better the compensation is, the more likely people will agree to have the dam built."
Lastly, I spoke with a local construction worker. He commented, "We aren't likely to see the dam built in our lifetime. There are too many problems. We construction workers know that it may not be good for the environment, but do you think we work for fun? We work for this," he said making a gesture that symbolizes money.
Bed and breakfast line the streets of the three villages which may be submerged as a result of the dam Yagisawa, Oshima, and Mitsumata. Passing through I imagined that I was at the bottom of a large reservoir. Caught up in the conflicting interests of villagers, construction workers, and local officials, the debate seems to be far from conclusion. Each seems to have visions for the future of the area. Which do you all think is the best solution?
Greg
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