Name of the Session Local to Global ‘SDGs & Yumeshima Expo: Yumeshima Risks and Potentials’
Name of the Document In order to avert risks and realize potentials of Yumeshima, development projects of visitors attraction facilities (World Expo/IR Casino) should be reconsidered.
Summary ➢ Yumeshima is a high-risk location in terms of natural disasters, and visitor attraction facilities should not be built there.
➢ Yumeshima should be left as a biodiverse hotspot and a logistics hub, for achieving its potential abilities.
➢ This proposal is based on various opinions of citizen groups and intellects in Osaka.
Background and Current Situation ‘World Expo 2025 is to be held in Yumeshima?’
Yumeshima is not only a ‘biodiverse hotspot’, but also the focal point of logistics in Kansai ‘with a pivotal role in international freight transportation strategy’. At the same time, countermeasures against disasters (regarding soft ground and typhoons, etc.) are also a major issue. Some critics say the World Expo 2025 and a casino are incompatible.
Even under these circumstances, with no decision at Osaka City Assembly, the project for holding the World Expo 2025 in Yumeshima is about to become an established fact.
[SDGs]
In light of SDGs Goal 11 ‘Making cities inclusive, safe, and sustainable ’, there are many serious issues, among others, weakness against major disasters, concerns about pollution, waste management, loss of biodiversity, which need to be considered. It is also a major issue that local residents have little opportunity to participate in the discussion making process. The Yumeshima development projects need to be reconsidered in order to achieve a goal of ‘Promotion of SDGs through the World Expo’ described in the Government’s “SDGs Action Plan 2019”.
AM-Net（Advocacy and Monitoring Network on Sustainable Development）
[Natural Environment]
Yumeshima, the planned location for the World Expo, has been recognized as a A rank biodiverse hotspot area by the Osaka Red List 2014, along with Osaka Nankou Bird Sanctuary in Sakishima. In response to the questionnaire submitted by the Nature Conservation Society of Osaka in 2018, both Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City answered that they recognize the importance of preserving biodiversity in Yumeshima. However, we would like to raise the issue that this viewpoint is not evident at all in a current plan of the Expo & IR.
Nature Conservation Society of Osaka
[Logistics]
At a time when international cargo ships are increasing in size, Yumeshima, with a depth of 15 meters, plays a pivotal role as a hub for international freight and, as initially planned, it is essential for boosting Osaka economy. It is physically impossible for a logistics base and a tourism base to co-exist on that island with just one bridge and one tunnel. We are afraid that, if a current plan is enforced, both will be failed and a huge investment will be lost. ‘Yumeshima' is best suited for use as a landfill and a logistics base.
Network of Concerned People about the Future of Osaka
[Pollution]
Yumeshima is an island of waste, filled and created by approximately 10,000,000 tonnes of burned waste over the past 28 years. It is clear that this island is susceptible to dangers of ground subsidence and natural disasters. Into the 2nd zone for the World Expo and the 3rd zone for the IR, non-industrial waste has been carried. Regarding the 1st zone, there are concerns about soil pollution due to dioxin contamination. This land is not suitable for a green terrace zone to be built as a part of the World Expo facilities. Yumeshima is common goods for citizens, so the landfill site should be maintainedas such for the next 20 years.
NGO Osaka Citizen Network
[Air Pollution Increase]
The Yumeshima World Expo will dramatically increase the volume of automobile traffic between Yumeshima and the Osaka Bay area with the transportation of 28 million visitors, in addition to that of employees and supplies. Severe pollution from the coastal industry in this area previously caused serious illnesses, and if the car and traffic emissions are added this time, it could result in a return of the occurrence of air pollution diseases such as asthma.
Association for Pollution-free Osaka
[Soft Ground]
When a major earthquake occurs on the Nankai Trough, it is said that Yumeshima could face a tsunami of 3.2m tall; or 5.4m at high tide. The tsunami could rush over Yumeshima at speeds comparable to a car. In that case it is said that the tsunami would be 1.5 times taller, and there is a high possibility that the foundations for a casino and the World Expo would be flooded. In addition, as dredged soil is used in Yumeshima and will be covered with a few meters of high-quality sand, it is subject to liquefaction damage.
Yoshiaki Tainosho (Emeritus Professor, Kobe University: Geology)
[Finance]
Reclaiming Yumeshima island and building the ‘IR’ casino and World Expo related infrastructure might bear not only natural disaster risks but also an huge financial problem. Almost 100 billion yen* will be spent for reclamation work and infrastructure development. Making casino companies pay 20 billion yen for the subway extension is symbolic of the Expo’s requests to the casinos. The major development plan of Yumeshima based on overpredicted demand is a threat to citizens' life.
Akira Yamada (Emeritus Professor, Nagoya City University: Local Finance)
* These figures are excerpted from ‘Land development and foundation maintenance project of Yumeshima ward’ made by Osaka City as a part of FY2019 mayor’s budget assessment hearing materials). The figures are the ones revealed as Osaka City’s share of the non-venue construction cost categorized under the related operating expenses..
[Economy]
The Yumeshima casino anticipates sales of 380 billion yen. A profit rate of Casino is expected to be 7%. And, in order to achieve a profit of 380 billion yen, a bet of more than 5 trillion yen, 14 times bigger than the profit, is needed. According to the plan, 57 billion yen in casino taxes will be injected into Osaka local administration, but 100,000 to 200,000 new gambling addiction cases will inevitably be born. Obviously it is not worthy to do so.
Teruo Sakurada (Professor, Hannan University: Accounting)
➢ To local administrations, businesses and community members in Osaka and the greater Kansai region
The location for the World Expo has not been finalized as Yumeshima. Based on the latest scientific knowledge, other candidate sites should be considered calmly in order to make use of the potential of Yumeshima and to avoid risks.
Key Contributors AM-Net（Advocacy and Monitoring Network on Sustainable Development）, Nature Conservation Society of Osaka, The future of Osaka Net, NGO Osaka Citizen Network, Association for Pollution-free Osaka, Yoshiaki Tainosho (Emeritus Professor, Kobe University: Geology), Akira Yamada (Emeritus Professor, Nagoya City University: Local Finance), Teruo Sakurada (Professor, Hannan University: Accounting)
Proponents Knowing Osaka & Thinking for Osaka Group, Others
