Associate Professor Hironori Hayashi's research awarded National Geographic Society grant for freshwater conservation

Associate Professor Hinonori Hayashi from the Watershed System Engineering Laboratory at Kyushu University’s Faculty of Engineering has been selected as a National Geographic Society grant recipient, as part of the Society’s World Freshwater Initiative. Along with his colleague, Specially Appointed Associate Professor Yuichi Kano, Hayashi will lead a research project titled “Community-led nature positive restoration at watershed scale in a biodiversity hotspot of Japan”.

Hayashi’s project was chosen as part of a highly competitive and international Freshwater Conservation request for proposals (RfP). Out of hundreds of applications worldwide, only four projects were selected, with Hayashi's being the only one from Japan. As a grant recipient, Hayashi is also designated as a National Geographic Explorer.

Starting in January 2025, Hayashi and his team will facilitate a two-year, community-led project to restore abandoned rice fields into natural wetlands and forests in the Notori River basin in Asakura City, Fukuoka, Japan. They will research the conservation of freshwater ecosystems and the regeneration of watersheds through groundwater recharge.

This project aligns with five of the eight visions outlined in Kyushu University’s VISION 2030, which aims to transform the university into a “university that drives social change with integrative knowledge.” These visions include research, digital transformation (DX), education, social co-creation, and international collaboration. Therefore, the project will produce practical results towards realizing the university’s vision.

The National Geographic Society announced the adoption of this grant project in a press release on its website on September 25.