Japan implements water restrictions amid declining dam reservoir levels

Water shortages are prompting conservation measures in multiple regions of Japan due to low rainfall and declining dam reservoir levels.

In Miyazaki Prefecture, the Hirosawa Dam in Aya Town reported a storage rate of 21% as of August 20. Authorities warned that if rainfall remains low, the dam could run dry around September 10. Consequently, water intake will be restricted to half of its normal volume starting August 25.

In Aichi Prefecture, the Toyokawa Waterway has implemented water conservation measures for the second consecutive year. Starting August 21, five cities in the Higashi-Mikawa region, including Toyohashi and Toyokawa, began a 5% reduction in agricultural, municipal, and industrial water usage. This follows a period of extremely low rainfall, with monthly precipitation in the Toyokawa basin reaching only 14% of the average, leaving the primary source, Uren Dam, at a storage rate of 13.8%.