特集: 東アジア太平洋地域の河川復元に向けて FEATURE: Toward river restoration in East Asia-Pacific Region
REVIEW REVIEW

New Zealand's Resource Management System snd its effectiveness

Keigo NAGASHIMA^* and Nobukazu NAKAGOSHI: Ecol. Civil. Eng. 6(1), 73-85, 2003.

Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Hiroshima University, 1-5-1, Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, 739-8529, Japan

Abstract:The importance of a resource and forest management system integrated with land use management is widely recognized in the world. New Zealand (NZ) was the country took the lead to establish the integrated resource management system by dividing the role of natural forests and plantation forests clearly and by establishing the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). This review aims to introduce NZ's forest management system, their developing processes and the effectiveness or problems of the system. Comparison to Japan's forest management system was also stated. The dichotomous management system, which manages indigenous forest for environmental conservation and plantation forest for timber production, allowed the indigenous forests to be free from harvesting. New Zealand was able to conduct this system because of (1) the small area of indigenous forest remaining on the hill countries, (2) the development of plantation forestry to a promising industry and (3) the pressure of rationalization and the conservation movement. The dichotomous forest management system itself is not likely to apply for Japan because of the difference of forest distribution pattern and the profitability of forestry. Nonetheless, the process for clarifying the role of administration bodies and the legislation related to forests might be able to introduce because forest legislations and their administration bodies are still fragmented in Japan.
The establishment of the RMA accompanied by the central government reform, local government reform, and the integration of environmental legislations. These processes enabled the RMA to provide the platform to implement integrated resource management. Although some problems are still remaining, the RMA is an advanced comprehensive environmental law that put every effort to minimize contradiction among legislations and conflicts among the administration bodies. In order to establish an integrated resource or forest management system in Japan, reviewing processes of the administration system and legislations as conducted in NZ might be important.

Key words: administrative and economic reform, dichotomous forest management, environmental impact assessment, integrated resource management, Resource Management Act

摘要

近年，森林管理と土地利用政策が一体化した包括的な資源管理システムの構築が世界的な課題となっている．ニュージーランド（NZ）は自然林と人工林の役割を分化するとともに，資源管理法を策定し，いち早く包括的な資源管理システムを構築した．本稿では，多くの示唆に富むNZの資源管理システムの構築過程とその効果・問題点について概説する．また，我が国の森林管理システムとの比較も行う． 　NZは自然林を環境保全に人工林を木材生産に，とその役割を分化させた管理を行っている．このような管理が可能になったのは，（１）自然林の多くが既に伐採され，急斜面に残存するのみであること，（２）人工林による林業が盛んであること，（３）森林管理の効率化と環境保護活動の圧力の存在，が背景として挙げられる．そのため，森林の分布状況や林業の現況が大きく異なる我が国では，このような森林管理方針を導入するのは難しいと思われる．しかし，森林管理に携わる行政機関や関連法規の役割を明確化させることは有益と思われる． 　資源管理法は，中央省庁・地方自治体の改革そして環境に関する法規の統合という過程を伴って制定された．資源管理法は各省庁間や各法律間の矛盾や対立をなくし，包括的な資源管理を可能にする素地を提供したといえる．我が国では包括的な資源管理を実践するために，法律を付け加えることで対処してきたが，NZのように管理省庁や法律を徹底的に見直し，一貫性のあるシステムを構築することが必要と思われる．

Recieved 26 September 2002; Accepted 16 June 2003
* e-mail: junior-h@wd6.so-net.ne.jp