The movement for barrier-free passenger ships, the mainstay of maritime transport, is supported by a broad spectrum of passengers, from residents on remote islands who use ferries as their primary means of transportation to hospitals, schools and shopping, to those who prefer ships for long distance travel, to those who enjoy sightseeing and restaurant cruises. However, compared to conditions in other means of transport, progress has lagged. In response, and for the purpose of facilitating easier transportation for elderly and people with disabilities, we are providing financial support to barrier free projects undertaken by the maritime transport industry as part of their passenger vessel improvement plans.
Selected Papers No.26

The World Congress of The Most Beautiful Bays in the World Association was held for the first time in Japan, at Toyama Bay. Discussions were held at the World Café on the theme of “Looking Forward-Preserving the Environment for Sustainable Coastal Area Development,” and a vision for the next 20 years was compiled in the Toyama Declaration.

While the amount of yearly precipitation in Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta has fallen, torrential rainfalls have increased, bringing about more frequent overflows of rivers. Jakarta is said to be the world’s first city likely to be submerged and it now faces disaster crises caused by a variety of factors. However, city submergence is not a problem for Jakarta alone. It has been pointed out that due to the effects of climate change, flooding from river overflows and sea level rise could take place in megacities around the world. This article is a report on the city of Jakarta.