Every year, the UN-designated International Day for Biological Diversity is celebrated on May 22, a day on which public awareness activities are promoted around the world.

ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Yoshihisa Suzuki, President & COO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) supports the “Project for Biodiversity Conservation in Amazon Based on a New Concept of ‘Field Museum’” conducted by Kyoto University and the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). Along with the ITOCHU’s Basic Activity Guidelines on Social Contribution for “Environmental Conservation,” we aim to contribute to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15: “Halt Biodiversity Loss” through this project. The Field Station, a base for natural observation and research in this project, has now been completed and an inaugural ceremony was held on-site on May 8. Attendees included Juichi Yamagiwa, President of Kyoto University, and Kiyoshi Inomata, CEO for Latin America Bloc of ITOCHU.

In this project, Kyoto University and INPA are working together to advance research on the precious Amazonian ecosystem that is gradually being lost. Through industry-academia-government collaboration, the Field Station, a new research base with lodging facilities, as well as a visitor center to welcome seminar and conference guests have been constructed in the Cuieiras region where a tributary of the Amazon River runs. There, long-term monitoring of flora and fauna in both inundated forests and terra firme (non-flooded areas) is possible.

It is anticipated that this can facilitate medium- to long-term advanced research on the tropical forests of the Amazon as well as further stimulate environmental education activities to help conserve Amazonian biodiversity.

■Project for Biodiversity Conservation in Amazon Based on a New Concept of “Field Museum”
http://www.wrc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/satreps/english/outline.html
■ITOCHU press release (April 2, 2017)
https://www.itochu.co.jp/ja/csr/news/2017/170412.html