Michigan officials met with representatives from Shiga , Japan on Monday and agreed to share knowledge on how best to protect freshwater resources.
Shiga, Japan is home to Lake Biwa, the largest freshwater lake in Japan.
Officials from both governments say the role of the Michigan and the Shiga government is the same in working to protect freshwater resources.
Christina Pastoria is with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
“It’s obviously a very valuable resource and our colleagues in Japan have noted that our freshwater lakes don’t get as much attention in world water discussions in world water discussions as other water systems,” she said.
Michigan and Shiga have had a 50-year relationship according to state officials, but Monday’s agreement recognized the importance of sharing research and information about freshwater conservation under climate change.
“There’s a lot of research still to be done on how climate change is going to affect systems like the Great Lakes and Lake Biwa and it would be a missed opportunity, I think, to not share our experiences and research as we confront the problem of climate change,” Pastoria said.
According to Pastoria, the agreement lays the groundwork for sharing expertise on lake management and promoting the value of lakes to the world.