Water Resources Development Promotion Law (Law No. 217 of 1961).

The 14 articles of this law are divided under 9 Headings: Purpose (art. 1); Basic Research (art. 2); Designation of Water System for Water Resources Development (art. 3); Basic Plan for Water Resources Development (arts. 4-5); Water Resources Development Council (arts. 6-10); Coordination with the National Comprehensive Development Plan etc. (art. 11); Implementation of Projects Based on the Basic Plan (art. 12); Expenses for Implementation of the Basic Plan (art. 13); Compensation for Loss, etc. (art. 14).
The Council is established as an auxiliary organ of the Prime Minister's Office (art. 6). The present Law "aims at promoting the comprehensive development and the rational utilization of the water resources on the whole water system of rivers, together with the conservation and protection of the headwaters, in order to secure the supply of water for areas which need water owing to the industrial development or growth and the increase in the urban population" (art. 1). To these ends the law provides "in primis" for the preparation of a basic plan for water resources development by the Prime Minister in consultation with the heads of the administrative agencies concerned. Moreover, a Water Resources Development Council shall be established, as an auxiliary organ of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister shall be also responsible for the coordination of the basic plan with the other plans (the National Comprehensive Development Plan, the Electric Power Development Basic Plan, the Kinki Region Redevelopment Plan and the Chubu Region Redevelopment Plan).