Community-rooted Efforts to Conserve Biodiversity in Coastal and River Areas (30by30 National Sustainability Managed Natural Sites Certification Activities)

Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation, Imabari Complex

Together with the residents' association, local residents, the nature conservation division of Ehime Prefecture, the Biodiversity Center of Ehime Prefecture, the environmental policy division and the parks greenery division of Imabari City, NPOs, and plant and animal experts, we conduct land maintenance activities at Imabari City's Odagahama Beach four times a year. Linaria japonica (Japanese toadflax), an endangered species that is listed on the prefecture's Red List, grows along the coast, and every spring and fall, neighboring elementary school students are invited to visit the area to observe the plants and animals as part of their classroom studies. In addition to observing the ecology of plants and animals, local observation sessions include explanations of the marine plastics issue, beach debris research, and cleanup activities. As a result of these activities, Odagahama Beach was certified as one of Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan in October 2023, then registered in the World Database on OECMs in August 2024.
In October 2024, the Shikoku EPO (Ministry of the Environment Shikoku Environmental Partnership Office) hosted the “Roundtable Discussion in Imabari on the Utilization of Local Natural Capital” at Imabari City's Bari Clean,* and we participated. On the day of the event, discussions were held on how to utilize natural capital and Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Sites. We presented an overview of our activities, including the process leading to the certification of our Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Site, and answered questions during the panel discussion. Additionally, we conducted a site visit to Odagahama Beach, the Nationally Certified Sustainably Managed Natural Site area. Approximately 80 participants attended the event, including representatives from the Chugoku and Shikoku Regional Branches of the Ministry of the Environment, Ehime Prefecture, Imabari City, local residents, nearby elementary and high school students, and companies located in Shikoku.

• Imabari City general industrial waste disposal site