Tokyo: Municipalities in Japan are working on new steps to manage aging infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, and water supply and sewage systems built mainly during the high-growth period decades ago.

The moves come at a time when an increasing number of municipal governments face serious shortages of personnel, possibly making infrastructure management difficult in the future. The central government has also begun to support such initiatives.

In fiscal 2017, the city of Sanjo in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, embarked on a program to collectively outsource the patrolling and repairs of roads, parks, and waterways managed by the city to private-sector companies.

Complaints and requests from citizens, such as one about a hole in the road, directly go to the outsourced companies, which then handle the issues on behalf of the city government.

Labor shortages are hitting not only the Sanjo city government but also construction companies in the city.

Previously, each department of the city government placed infrastructure-related orders, a municipal official noted, suggesting that the method was ineffective.

Currently, orders in many fields are collectively placed with the private sector, “leading to reduced burdens for city government personnel and helping outsourced businesses secure a large number of projects,” the official said.

The number of technical employees stands at five or less in more than half of the municipalities in Nara Prefecture, western Japan.

The Nara prefectural government started in fiscal 2010 to conduct repair work and inspections for roads and bridges on behalf of municipalities in the prefecture. The measure is implemented as part of the “Nara model,” in which the prefectural government helps local municipalities facing labor shortages and financial difficulties.

For example, the prefectural government receives orders collectively from municipalities, helping reduce costs. The prefecture also trains personnel sent from municipal governments.

As the initiative has taken root, the launch rate for repair work for bridges managed by municipalities in Nara is higher than the national average.

According to the Japanese infrastructure ministry, about 25% of the municipal governments across the country have no technical employees, attesting to the serious shortage of human resources for infrastructure management.

To cope with the situation, the ministry launched in fiscal 2023 a model project transcending the boundaries of departments and municipalities to facilitate infrastructure management and operations.

For the project, the ministry selected 11 regions in December 2023 and is now poised to provide support for the creation of detailed plans and necessary systems. Also aiming to spread the know-how from the project across the country, the ministry will compile related manuals for local governments.

The city of Yabu in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, one of the 11 areas, is planning to collaborate with four neighboring municipalities so that the region can collectively place orders for bridge construction, which requires a certain level of technical skills.

“We want residents to feel the benefits of the initiative, as we hope to expand the partnership to projects related to water supply and sewage systems as well in the future,” said a Yabu municipal official in charge.

JIJI Press