Increased recognition of the need for adaptive management was in the background of the positioning of social learning as the basis of natural resource management. There is a need for adaptive management, given the fluctuating risks beyond the limits of human knowledge concerning natural resources and environments, systems that are complex and replete with uncertainties. In order to advance management of systems of natural resources and environments through social learning, it is necessary to identify who and how people are going to participate in the designs and operations of such places.

Looking at the current situation of environmental restoration in the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas, progress has not gone as smoothly as expected. Here, I would like to introduce the background, timeline, and objectives of the "Public-Private Cooperation Forum for Kumamoto Coastal Zone Restoration," created as a place for various people and organizations relating to Kumamoto Prefecture to discuss the prefecture's coastal zone environment and coastal zone development, conducted in harmony with disaster prevention.

In the coral reefs of shallow oceans, there live the odd clams called Tridacnidae, commonly known as giant clams. These clams, which have long been harvested by coastal residents in the Pacific Ocean, have already been depleted in some locations. Various areas have seen lasting efforts made for the restoration of the resource and its sustainable use, which also represent part of Japan's international cooperation activities in the fisheries industry.