In this study, we proposed a new assessment tool for woody biomass projects. This tool includes estimation of the amount of available woody resources and matching with supply and demand, as well as assessment of both environmental and economic performance. As a case study, we applied the tool to a project for firewood promotion in Nishiwaga, Japan.From the results, we found that only 36% of woody biomass resource was actually available in Nishiwaga, and there is enough wood resource supply to cover the demand for firewood in Nishiwaga. However, we also found that when looking at each community, some communities would have to import woody resources from other communities in the town within the next ten years even if they had enough resources available in their communities.We concluded that it is important to understand not resource 'potential' but resource 'availability' to ensure resource procurement and it is also important to look at spatial constraints and transportation costs of resources as well as resource availability.

Renewable energy sources, including bioenergy, are presently attracting considerable attention as possible substitutes for fossil fuels. Among the various sources of bioenergy, biomass can arguably play a significant role in the reduction of greenhouse gases and the provision of a stable energy supply. However, the use of fossil fuels continues in the production of bioenergy. Consequently, the overall extent to which biomass utilization for energy can reduce carbon dioxide emissions as a substitute for fossil fuels and whether this can improve the energy self-sufficiency rate remains largely unknown. This study responds to these questions using a case of a Japanese rural community using firewood for residential heating. The results showed that woody biomass utilization for energy is able to both reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate climate change. These findings offer new insights into the development of sustainability in rural communities.

This study assesses the impact of wood energy use under underutilized conditions of wood resources: the impact on promotion of forest maintenance practices (FMPs), user costs, and local economies, using the case of a local initiative in Nishiwaga, Iwate, Japan. We conducted two main analyses: resource and economic assessment. For resource assessment, we investigate whether wood supply from FMP residue is sufficient to sustainably satisfy new demand created by a local initiative in Nishiwaga, and in how much forest area can FMPs be performed to satisfy the demand. These questions are analyzed by linear programming. Regarding economic assessment, we investigate whether replacement of fossil fuel by wood energy brings economic benefit to a user and local economy using input-output analysis. Our overall findings demonstrated that the use of wood energy under underutilized situations can lead to an increase of implementations of FMPs and of domestic wood resource supplies from a short-term perspective that comes from residues of the FMPs. We also found that wood energy consumption introduces co-benefits in terms of reduced heating costs for users and a larger economic impact on the local economy than fossil fuel.

Although researchers expect the valuation of ecosystems and their services to be used in various decision-making processes, some studies have insisted that the valuation results cannot be fully used in the real world. The so-called “information gap” was highlighted, and some reasons for the gap were raised by researchers. One of them is the lack of local-specific and demand-side information, such as who receives the benefits and to what extent. This study proposes a valuation that includes demand-side information for it to be practically useful for policy decision making, especially for local policymakers. We focus on the headwater conservation service of the forest ecosystem by referring to the case of constructing solar power plants in the Satetsu-gawa river basin in Ichinoseki, Japan. We estimate the size of the area and the number of households affected by deforestation caused by the construction of the plants. Furthermore, the lost value of ecosystem services is assessed in monetary terms to reflect information on the demand side. Based on the results, we present multiple indicators for assessing the impact of constructing the plants and discuss how the valuation can be used by local policymakers as well as how it can close the information gap.