Administrative reform for sustainable public water services in japan

Dr. Naoki Fujiwara (Otemon Gakuin University)

Water supply and sewerage service is indispensable for public health. In Japan, these services are conducted as a public service by municipalities, but their revenues are predicted to be shrinking in response to a decreasing birth rate, an aging population, and the water conservation movement. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the administrative reform of the public water service in Japan to increase the business efficiency for sustainable management. The research methods included a text analysis of policy materials issued by the national and local governments and conducting interviews with the newly established municipality-owned entity in Osaka. As a result of this research, first, we identified the administrative reform progress of the public water service system in Japan. Second, as a case study, we confirmed the progress of the administrative reform of the sewerage service by the Osaka City Government, which included the “separation of infrastructure and operation” process started from transplanting the operation department of the service into an external organization of the municipality. Third, we examined the political decision-making process of the organizational transformation at the City of Osaka. Last, we showed the policy implications regarding further administrative changes of the public water services in the future. 

POWERPOINT PRESENTATION