Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems［GIAHS］
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GIAHS
“Ayu of the Nagara River System” was designated a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System in December, 2015. Despite supporting a population of 860,000 people and flowing through urban and residential areas, the Nagara River has had its clearness preserved amidst the activities of the local people, continuing to nurture ayu in its pristine waters. Both of the clear water and its ayu have been deeply connected to the region historically, economically and culturally. The Nagara River System is characterized by its close connection with the whole system of satokawa which describes the link between the inhabitants’ lives, aquatic environments and fishing resources.
What is GIAHS?
GIAHS stands for ‘Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems’. The initiative was established by the FAO in 2002, with the aim of ensuring the passing on of globally important regions where the environment and land are leveraged in the practice of traditional agriculture, forestry and fisheries, in which all of these factors come together with a farming culture and landscapes to form a comprehensive system.
GIAHS around the World
Sixty-two regions in 22 countries around the world have been designated(as of November 2021)
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Chiloe Agriculture
/Chile
Chiloe is a home of potato and two hundred varieties of native potatoes are still cultivated. Their ancestral farming practices have been handed down from generation to generation mostly by women,
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Qanat Irrigated Agricultural Heritage Systems,Kashan
/Iran
In the Central Desert of Iran, the Qanat Irrigation technology has been developed since 800 BC.
Qanats minimize evaporation loss and enhance the cultivation of diverse crops.
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Rice-Fish Agriculture
/China
The agricultural system has continued since the Han Dynasty 2,000 years ago. Fish deters pests and weeds and works as fertilizer for the rice. The fish plays various roles such as daily food supply and source of income for the farmers.
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Shimbwe Juu Kihamba Agro-forestry Heritage Site
/Tanzania
Due to the humid tropical mountain forest climate and the strong sunlight, farmland consists of four layers : shading fruit trees, bananas, coffee shrubs, and annual crops.
GIAHS Sites in Japan
In Japan, 11 regions have been designated as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems. (As of November 2021)
GIAHS Ayu Day
The fourth Sunday of July falls on "GIAHS Ayu Day"
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“GIAHS Ayu Day” is held on the fourth Sunday of every July and was established to commemorate the designation of the GIAHS “Ayu of the Nagara River System” in December 2015 with the aim of spreading awareness of the significance of the “Nagara River System” to the people of Gifu as well as promoting ayu which is a symbol of our clear waters and the prefectural fish.
Commemorative events were held on the first “GIAHS Ayu Day”, Sunday, 24th July in 2016
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