Many of our research efforts on the conservation of coastal areas of the Ariake Sea and the Yatsushiro Sea are still in process of collecting basic data, and specific research regarding environmental restoration and creation has just started. However, environmental restoration of the Ariake Sea and the Yatsushiro Sea is an impending issue for the national government, and municipalities are seeking specific plans to improve the environment. In Japan, bridges, dikes, and dams constructed in the period of high economic growth are now in process of reconstruction, and newly-designed structures are required to be resistant to natural disasters and harmonized with the natural and social environment of the areas. In this context, we promote research to elucidate mutual relationships between various elements comprised of natural and social environments and human life, coordinating nature, industry, history, culture, climate, and landscape to maintain healthy management of rivers and coastal environments.
As a matter of course, the research for the environmental conservation of the Ariake Sea and the Yatsushiro Sea is delegated to Kumamoto University because it is located in the home region of both seas, and moreover, research on coastal environments is a subject on which Kumamoto University can take the lead as a global hub. And, in order to conserve coastal environments, understanding and maintaining watershed ecosystems of terrestrial and river areas is paramount. From this point of view, we need to undertake more advanced research, grasping accurately the situation of river catchments and coastal environments, analyzing collected data and making efforts to restore and create each specific area in the environment. Furthermore, we are aiming to establish a global hub.