Report on Master s Program, Water-related Disaster Management Course of Disaster Management Policy Program

ＩＳＳＮ　０３８６－５８７８

Technical Note of PWRI No.4190

ICHARM Publication No.20

Report on 2009-2010

Master’s Program,

“Water-related Disaster Management Course

of Disaster Management Policy Program”

Copyright © (2010) by P.W.R.I

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into a machine language without the written permission of the Chief Executive of P.W.R.I.

Technical Note of PWRI No. 4190

December 2010

Technical Note of PWRI

Report on 2009-2010

Master’s Program,

“Water-related Disaster Management Course of

Disaster Management Policy Program”

December 2010

International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management

(UNESCO-ICHARM),

Technical Note of PWRI No. 4190

December 2010

Report on 2009-2010

Master’s Program,

“Water-related Disaster Management Course of

Disaster Management Policy Program”

By

International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management

under the auspices of UNESCO (ICHARM)

ICHARM conducted a one-year Master’s program entitled the “Water-related Disaster Management Course of Disaster Management Policy Program” from 28 September 2009 to 18 September 2010 in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS).

The twelve students were mainly technical officials, engineers or researchers in the field of river management or water-related disasters in developing countries.

This course aims to foster solution-oriented practitioners with solid theoretical and engineering bases who can serve for planning and practices of flood management within the framework of integrated river basin management at all levels from nations to localities.

In the first half of the course, the students mainly attended lectures and exercises; in the second half, they worked on their individual studies, this enabling them to prepare and complete their master’s theses and to visit numerous locations across Japan over the course of several field trips in order to learn about up-to-date flood control countermeasures in action.

This report details the course activities and the achievements thereof and aims to contribute improvements in the next year.

Contents of Report on 2009-2010 Master’s program, “Water-related Disaster

Management Course of Disaster Management Policy Program”

- Table of Contents -

Chapter 1: Background and Objectives of this Course ... 1

1.1 Background of this Course... 1

1.2 Objectives of this Course ... 3

1.3 Outputs of this Course ... 3

1.4 Features of this Course ... 4

1.5 Qualification for Attendance of this Course ... 5

1.5.1 Application as JICA Trainee 1.5.2 Direct Application to GRIPS 1.5.3 Final Decision on Acceptance of Students 1.6 Organization of Course Teaching Personnel ... 6

Chapter 2: Course Content ... 7

2.1 Course Schedule ... 7

2.2 Course Curriculum ... 9

2.2.1 Lectures and Exercises 2.2.2 Lecturers 2.2.3 Field Trips and Lectures conducted by Disaster Prevention Administration Officials 2.2.4 Studying and Living Environment 2.3 Master’s Thesis ... 15

2.4 Yearbook ... 15

Chapter 3: 2009-2010 Activity Report ... 16

Chapter 4: Master’s Thesis ... 22

Chapter 5: Course Evaluation and Issues for Future Improvement ... 24

5.1 Course Evaluation by Students ... 24

5.1.1 Course Evaluation 5.1.2 Outputs 5.1.3 Lectures and Exercises 5.1.4 Lecturers 5.1.5 Field Trips 5.1.6 Process of Writing Master’s Thesis 5.1.7 Course Period 5.2 Course Evaluation by ICHARM ... 36

5.2.1 Evaluation of Students’ Achievements on the Course 5.2.2 Overall Evaluation of Course and Improvements for the Future Chapter 6: Conclusion ... 40

- References -

Reference 1-1 List of Students

Reference 2-1 Detailed Schedule of the Course Reference 2-2 Curriculum List

Reference 2-3 Course Syllabus

Reference 2-4 List of instructors coordinating with GRIPS Reference 2-5 List of Locations of Field Trips

Reference 2-6 Itineraries of Field Trips Reference 2-7 Report Assignment Reference 2-8 Nicchoku Sheet

Reference 3-1 GRIPS & PWRI Certificate Reference 3-2 PWRI original Certificate Reference 3-3 Best Research Award Reference 3-4 ICHARM Sontoku Award

Reference 5-1 Results of the First Questionnaire (conducted in November, 2009) Reference 5-2 Results of the Second Questionnaire (conducted in December, 2009) Reference 5-3 Results of the Third Questionnaire (conducted in January, 2010) Reference 5-4 Results of the Fourth Questionnaire (conducted in March, 2010) Reference 5-5 Results of the Fifth Questionnaire (conducted in June, 2010)

＜

Opening Ceremony

＞

(October 8, 2009)

Congratulatory address by Chief Executive Sakamoto, PWRI Address by a participant representative Mr. Jerry Austria Fano

Congratulatory address by Director Sato, JICA Tsukuba

Prof. Jayawardena Amithirigala (Research & Training Advisor, ICHARM)

Prof. Shoji Fukuoka (Chuo Univ.)

Prof. Shinji Egashira (NEWJEC Inc.) Prof. Kuniyoshi Takeuchi

(Director, ICHARM)

Prof. Tadaharu Ishikawa (Tokyo Institute of Technology)

Prof. Shigenobu Tanaka (Deputy Director, ICHARM)

＜講義・演習＞

Lect. Atsuhiro Yorozuya (Research Specialist, ICHARM) Asso. Prof. Pham Thanh Hai

(Research Specialist, ICHARM)

Asso. Prof. Jun Magome Mr. Takahiro Kawakami

Prof. Kei Kudo (Team Leader, ICHARM)

Asso. Prof. Kazuhiko Fukami (Team Leader, ICHARM)

Prof. Taikan Oki (Tokyo Univ.)

Asso. Prof. Katsumi Wakigawa (Deputy Director,

Japan Institute of Construction Engineering)

Prof. Yasuharu Watanabe (Kitami Institute of Technology)

Asso. Prof. Masahiro Imbe

(Executive Director, Association for Rainwater Storage and Infiltration Technology) Dr. Atsushi Yoshii

(Executive Director for Research Coordination, CERI, PWRI)

Prof. Yuichi Onda (Tsukuba Univ.)

Asso. Prof. Frank van der Meulen (UNESCO-IHE)

Joint class with “Local Emergency Operation Plan with Flood Hazard Map” (Total 23 students from 13 countries)

Prof. Masatomo Umitsu (Nagoya Univ.)

Prof. Haruo Hayashi (Kyoto Uni,)

Dr. Tadahiko Sakamoto (Chief Executive, PWRI)

Dr. Hitoshi Umino (Senior Researcher, PWRI)

Prof. Hideaki Kawasaki (Yamaguchi Univ.) Prof. Norihisa Matsumoto

(Advisor. Japan Dam Engineering Center)

Dr. Hitoshi Umino (Senior Researcher, PWRI)

Dr. Tadahiko Sakamoto (Chief Executive, PWRI)

Prof. Shun Okubo Prof. Hiroshi Ikeya Oral Presentation on Dam instructed

by Prof. Matsumoto and Prof. Yamaguchi Dr. Kunihiko Amano

(Head, NILIM)

Dr. Josuke Kashiwai

Lect. Kazuyuki Takanashi

(Senior Executive Officer, Asia Air Survey Co., Ltd.)

Dr. Masayuki Watanabe

(Director, Institute for International Development, Disaster Prevention and Peace Inc.) Dr. Ryosuke Tsunaki

(Manager, Sabo Technical Center)

Prof. Yoshiharu Ishikawa

(Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology)

Asso. Prof. Takashi Yamada (Mie Univ.)

Dr. Hiroyuki Yoshimatsu (Director, Institute of Slope Technology)

Dr. Yasuo Ishii

(Team Leader, Snow Avalanche and Landslide Research Center, PWRI)

Oral Presentation on Sabo instructed by Prof. Ikeya and Dr. Yoshifumi Hara (Director of

Dr. Kazunori Fujisawa (Team Leader, PWRI)

Dr. Kouji Ishida (Senior Researcher, PWRI) Dr. Nobutomo Osanai

＜

Exercise

＞

Lecture on flood information 【Japan Meteorological Agency】

Lecture on flood information 【Kanto Regional River Bureau, MLIT】

Lecture on flood information 【_{Tone River Upstream Office, MLIT}】

Lecture on how to deal with vulnerable people 【_{Disaster Risk Management Department, Mie}】

＜

Field Trips and Lectures by Disaster Prevention Administration Officials

＞

Lecture on flood hazard map 【Adachi Ward, Tokyo】

Greeting address by Mr. Sumio Nagata, Deputy Mayor of Kiyosu City

Lecture on flood hazard map 【Kiyosu City, Aichi】

The students were welcomed at Ise city hall with applause from city officials.

Greeting address by Mr. Ken-ichi Suzuki, Mayor of Ise City

Lecture on flood information 【Risk Management Section, Ise City】

Visit at Watarase Retarding Basin Visit at Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel

Visit at super levee in Edo River Pre “Town Watcing” in Kurihashi Town

Visit at Shonai River Explanation on three-way separation work of the Kiso River at Kiso Tower

Visit at open levee of Kumozu River

Visit at hydrologic gauging stations of Kokai River

Discussion on Town Watching in Ominato

Students listen to descriptions of an infiltration system directly from Yutaka Takahashi, the professor emeritus of University of Tokyo, at his

Visit at Tsurumi River Basin at information center

Explanation of Hii River improvement plan Visit at Obara Dam Construction site

Visit at Yodo River Weir Explanation of Yodo River’s history and improvement plan

Visit at Kamenose Landslide Visit at Kamenose Landslide

Students participate, in heavy rain, in a Tone River flow observation exercise using an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurement gauge under the instruction of Dr. Yorozuya.

the 59th _{Flood Fighting Drill in Tone River}

Visit at Ichinoseki Retarding Basin Visit at Isawa Dam construction site

Flood Marks

(Up: at Ichinoseki Sta., Right：at ”Michinoeki Kawasaki)

Explanations of the Land Use-integrated Flood Disaster Prevention Project for areas with narrow flows on the Kitakami River (Left: at Fujisawa Town Offfice, Right: Kohigata District)

Visit at Nikko Sabo works

Visit at Kurobe River and Unazuki Dam

Visit at National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention

＜

Tea Ceremony and Cherry Blossom Viewing

＞

( April 2, 2010)

Instructed by Ms. Nakamura, ICHARM

Mr. Somchit (up) and Mr. Partha (down) successfully gave oral presentations at the Japan Society of Hydrology and Water Resources (Hosei University).

Participating in an international session

＜

Farewell Party at ICHARM

＞

(September 15, 2010)

＜

Graduation Ceremony

＞（

2010

年

9

月

16

日）

Group Photo with Prof. Shigeru Morichi (GRIPS) and Prof. Kenji Okazaki (GRIPS)

＜

Graduation Ceremony at GRIPS

＞

(September 16, 2010)

Mr. Partha was conferred the “Dean’s Award”.

＜

Closing Ceremony at JICA Tsukuba

＞

(September 17, 2010)

Prof. Takeuchi conferred the “Best Research Award” to Mr. Somchit.

Address by a participant representative Mr. Saifuddin

Congratulatory address by Prof. Okazaki, GRIPS

Chapter 1: Background and Objectives of this Course

1.1 Background of this Course

Natural disasters cause human tragedy and economic loss, and hamper the development of the countries where they occur. In particular, due to recent urbanization in developing countries, there is a tendency for the poor to be forced to settle in buildings and areas that are vulnerable to natural disasters. This significantly increases vulnerability to natural disasters in developing countries.

Among natural disasters, water-related disasters, such as floods and droughts, present particularly major challenges that need to be successfully met in order to ensure sustainable human development and alleviation of poverty. Such devastating disasters have not only been statistically increasing, but also expanding in terms of extent of damage and impact, this being due to rapid population growth, especially in Asia and Africa, with high concentrations of population and poverty in urban areas (Figure 1-1). They also expose high-value assets to a greater risk of disaster damage. According to a UN population projection (UN World Urbanization Prospects 2005), urban population will continue growing in size and proportion across the world, and most of the growth will be seen in developing countries. For example, between 2000 and 2030, the urban population in Asia and Africa is projected to increase rapidly, growing from 1.36 to 2.64 billion and 294 to 742 million, respectively (Figure 1-2). Projections show that, even in the next 10 years, rapid population growth will occur in major water-front cities in Asia, e.g. Dhaka (Bangladesh), Mumbai (India) and Jakarta (Indonesia). If appropriate measures are not taken to protect these cities, their vulnerability to major water-related disasters, such as floods, storms and tsunamis, is likely to become increasingly high (Figure 1-3).

Asia alone accounts for over 80% of worldwide fatalities due to water-related disasters (Figure 1-4). Looking ahead, it is predicted that precipitation and its patterns of distribution will change due to climate change, and this may exacerbate the intensity and frequency of water-related disasters. Sea level is expected to rise worldwide due to global warming, which in turn will worsen exposure of coastal areas, delta areas in the lower reaches of rivers, and small islands.

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 Africa Americas Asia Europe Ocenia

Figure 1-1 Annual variation in the number of water-related disasters by region

Figure 1-2 Demographic changes in urban and non-urban areas by region

(Prepared by ICHARM based on World Urbanization Prospects: 2005 Revision by the Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN)

Figure 1-3 Demographic changes in major cities worldwide between 1975 and 2015

(Prepared by ICHARM based on World Urbanization Prospects: 2005 Revision by the Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN)

Figure 1-4

Asia

In order to reduce the impact of natural disasters, well-balanced risk management before, during, and after disasters must be established in a multi-disciplinary manner, covering measures that involve infrastructure such as dams and levees, measures that involve non-infrastructure such as flood warning systems, risk-map/hazard-map and social psychology. To meet this need, disaster management experts must be created through professional education and training so that they can develop appropriate disaster management policies and techniques based on local conditions and needs, and exchange various information with local residents in order to raise awareness of disaster prevention in local communities.

Given these circumstances, in order to enhance the capabilities of experts in developing countries to cope with water-related disasters, ICHARM, the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) jointly launched a master’s degree program called the “Disaster Management Policy Program Water-related Disaster Management Course” (afterwards referred to as “the course”) in 2007. The course for this academic year represents the third to be run.

The United Nations designate 2005-2014 as the Decade for Education and Sustainable Development, under the initiative of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The course is exactly in step with the spirit of that Decade. ICHARM is honored to be one of the organizers, especially in consideration of the fact that the center was established under the auspices of UNESCO.

1.2 Objectives of this Course

Against this background, we have set the final goals and objectives of the course to be as follows.

< Overall Goal >

The overall goal of this training course is to reduce economic/social losses by water-related disasters in developing countries.

< Program Objective >

The program objective is to develop the participant’s capacity to practically manage the problems and issues concerning water-related disasters in local levels and to contribute for socio-economic and environmental improvements in regional and national levels in developing countries.

1.3 Outputs of this Course

Students acquire the following skills and knowledge by studying on this course. The students will become:

(1) knowledgeable about the recent practices in integrated flood risk management in various localities in the world.

(2) able to define the requirements for local/national effective risk reduction, including public policies and design a local/national risk management frameworks, institutional coordination and management mechanisms including all stakeholders.

(3) able to develop local/national indicators to detect and monitor changes in the basis of emergency responses and disaster risk reduction policies and to monitor the status and

effectiveness of these policies.

(4) able to contribute for the implementation of plans developed based on the identified integrated risk management policy by making them underpinned by a clear financial, institutional and legislative framework.

(5) able to develop risk management strategies considering all the management cycle components, namely emergency response, recovery, mitigation and preparedness taking into account risk perception and communication issues and emerging threats such as global warming and climate change.

1.4 Features of this Course

The course is characterized by the four following points:

I. “Problem Solving-Oriented” course

In order to manage major disasters, it is essential to develop disaster management capabilities at the level of the organization as well as the abilities of the individuals within that organization, since there is always a limit on what each individual can achieve.

JICA training programs in recent years have shifted their focus to “problem solving-oriented training” which aims to improve the ability of organizations to deal with relevant problems and situations. This shift of course emphasis is based on the idea that such training delivers a dual benefit. First, the training will be more effective and efficient for each student if they first identify water issues specific to their countries and then proactively study in order to solve them. Moreover, it will produce results which are effective for solving the issues faced by the respective students’ organizations.

Based on this course philosophy, this course is designed not to be one in which students are, in some way, forced to study but one in which they think independently and find solutions to issues that are of interest to them. One of the requirements for graduation from this course is to write a master’s thesis on an issue which each student identifies and to which they find their own solution. Such assignments help students develop the ability to formulate integrated flood mitigation plans, and help them address other issues at home.

II. “Students from the same organization”

This course is part of a project that has been designed to conduct a master’s course three times over a period of three years. As mentioned earlier, in order to develop organization level capabilities in disaster management, the course organizers intentionally recruit several students from the same organization for the course. The organizers also make direct requests for organizations in the relevant countries to send capable students.

III. “Practical” rather than “Theoretical”

To make the course solution-oriented, lectures and exercises which are practical rather than theoretical are provided on the course in order to enable students to work effectively in actual situations. For this reason, field trips are an essential part of the course.

IV. 1 year master’s course

This master’s course is intended for personnel currently working in administrative organizations. For this reason, it is designed to let them earn a master’s degree within a single

1.5 Qualification for Attendance of this Course

There are two methods for attendance of this course. In the first, trainees of the JICA training program “TRAINING FOR EXPERT ON FLOOD-RELATED DISASTER MITIGATION”, who were recruited and selected by overseas JICA offices, participate as GRIPS students. In the second, students apply directly and are accepted for GRIPS. The first method imposes limits on the home countries of students who are eligible to apply, but no such limit is set for the second method.

1.5.1 Application as JICA Trainee

For application as a JICA trainee, candidate countries, eligible organizations, expected number of students, and requirements on applicants were as follows.

Candidate Countries :

9 countries (Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand)

Eligible/Target Organization :

Technical officials, engineers or researchers in the field of river management or water-related Disasters

Total Number of Students :

10 students (The number of students from China will be Two (2)).

Nominee Qualifications : Applicants should;:

(1) be nominated by their governments in accordance.

(2) be engineers or technical officers who have three (3) or more years of experience in the field of flood management.

(3) be university graduates in civil engineering, water resource management, or disaster mitigation, etc. or have an equivalent academic background.

(4) have working knowledge of civil engineering, especially of hydraulics and hydrology. (5) be familiar with mathematics such as differentiation and integration techniques. (6) be able to write research reports on the individual study in English.

(7) be proficient in MS Word, Excel and Power Point.

(8) be competent in spoken and written English to a level equivalent to TOEFL CBT 173 or higher.

(9) must be in good health, both physically and mentally, to participate in the Program in Japan.

(10) be over twenty-two (22) and under forty (40) years of age. (11) not be serving any type of military service.

1.5.2 Direct Application to GRIPS

To be eligible for admission to this master's program, an applicant

1) must hold a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a recognized/accredited university of the highest standard in the field of civil engineering, water resource management, or disaster mitigation.

2) must have working knowledge of civil engineering, especially of hydraulics and hydrology. 3) must be familiar with mathematics such as differentiation and integration techniques. 4) must satisfy the English language requirements, with a minimum TOEFL score of 550

(Computer-Based Test (CBT) 213, Internet-Based Test (iBT) 79), IELTS 6.0 or its equivalent. 3) must be in good health.

1.5.3 Final Decision on Acceptance of Students

Thirteen students were accepted into the program through the program steering committee, which consists from the following members;

 Prof. Shigeru Morichi, GRIPS [Director of the program]

 Prof. Kenji Okazaki, GRIPS [Deputy director of the program]

 Prof. Ikuo Shimomura, GRIPS

 Prof. Hideo Fukui, GRIPS

 Dr. Nobuo Furukawa, Director, International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering (IISEE), Building Research Institute (BRI)

 Dr. Toshiaki Yokoi, Chief Research Scientist, IISEE, BRI

 Dr. Kuniyoshi Takeuchi, Director, ICHARM

 Dr. Shigenobu Tanaka, Deputy Director, ICHARM

Reference 1-1 shows the list of students. Unfortunately, Mr. BOGAHAPITIYA GAMAGE Samantha Kumara from Sri Lanka returned to his country due to family matters during the program (December 2009).

1.6 Organization of Course Teaching Personnel

The course uses the following organizational structure for teaching personnel. International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM), PWRI

Director Kuniyoshi Takeuchi

Deputy Director Shigenobu Tanaka

Research and Training Advisor Jayawardena Amithirigala

Team Leader Kei Kudo

Researcher Takahiro Sayama

In accordance with the research themes of the students, ICHARM research specialists in the relevant fields provided instructions whenever necessary.

The ICHARM International Technical Exchange Team worked on general affairs relating to the program, such as coordination of administrational tasks.

Chapter 2: Course Content

2.1 Course

Schedule

Sep. Aug. Oct.

Individual Study (Master Thesis)

Field Trip

Oct. Dec. Feb. Apr. Jun.

1st Interim Presentation 2nd Interim Presentation 3rd Interim Presentation Inception Report Final Presentation Submission to supervisor Submission to GRIPS Submission to examiner Action Plan 5th Interim Presentation 4th Interim Presentation Lectures

Exercises Individual Study

Figure 2-1 Conceptual representation of overall course schedule

The course was conducted over a period of around one year, from September 28, 2009 (date of arrival in Japan) to September 18, 2010 (departure date). The opening ceremony at GRIPS was held on October 5, 2009, and the graduation ceremony on September 16, 2010.

Figure 2-1 shows a conceptual representation of the overall course schedule.

The first half of the course consists mainly of “Lectures” (11 subjects) and “Exercises” (8 subjects). Several field trips are also conducted throughout the year to enhance the students’ understanding of the content of the lectures. In addition, in order to provide opportunities for students to learn about the latest knowledge and trends regarding water-related disasters, students are required to attend some ICHARM R&D Seminars held with invited experts.

In the second half of the course, students conduct Individual Study, consulting with ICHARM supervisors as they proceed, and complete their master’s theses. To check progress on master’s theses, individual students are given opportunities of Interim Presentations of around ten minutes about once every one to two months. In these presentations, students receive advice from other students and supervisors as necessary. After submitting their master’s theses, students, who are accepted through the JICA recruitment procedure, start creating Action Plans for activities that they will perform after they return to their home countries.

In addition, Homeroom including the ICHARM director is held every month so that the director can listen to students’ opinions regarding making improvements to their general daily lives, lectures and exercises, and master’s thesis procedures.

Table 2-1 shows the main annual schedule for the course. Lectures started in the second week of October 2009, including the United Nation’s International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction. Reference 2-1 shows a detailed schedule for the entire course.

Table 2-1 Main schedule for year

Date Event 2009 September 28th Arrival in Japan

October 5th Entrance Ceremony at GRIPS 6th - 7th Presentation on Inception Report 8th Opening Ceremony at ICHARM 15th Field trip (1) to the Kanto Region 21st - 23rd Project Cycle Management Practice 27th PWRI Laboratory Tour

November 6th Homeroom

10th - 26th Joint classes with the “Local Emergency Operation Plan with Flood Hazard Map” training course

12th Field trip (2) to Kurihashi Town (“Town Watching” exercise)

16th - 18th Field trip (3) to Chubu Region and “Town Watching” exercise in Ise City 20th Field trip (4) to Kokai River Hydrological observatory

December 3rd Field trip (5) to the Kanto Region (Tsurumi river retarding basin etc.) 10th ICHARM Quick Report symposium

22nd 1st Interim Presentation of Master Thesis 2010 January 21st 2nd Interim Presentation of Master Thesis

25th -5th Lectures at GRIPS

March 1st 24th ICHARM R&D seminar by Prof. Kengo Sunada (Yamanashi University)

12th 25th ICHARM R&D seminar by Prof. Ganesh P. SHIVAKOTI (University of Tokyo)

25th Homeroom

April 2nd Cherry blossom viewing and tea ceremony at PWRI

26th ICHARM R&D seminar by Prof. Tadashi Yamada (Chuo University) 9th 3rd Interim Presentation of Master Thesis

20th - 23rd Field trip (6) to Chugoku & Kinki Region

May 15th Field trip (7) to the 59th Tone River Flood Fighting Drill in Itakura Town 25th 27th ICHARM R&D seminar

26th - 28th Field trip (8) to Touhoku & Kanto Region

June 3rd 4th Interim Presentation of Master Thesis, Homeroom 17th - 18th Field trip (9) to Hokuriku Region

July 2nd Deadline of submission of the 1st draft thesis 16th 5th Interim Presentation of Master Thesis August 6th Final Presentation of Master Thesis 23rd Submission of Master Thesis to GRIPS September 3rd 28th ICHARM R&D seminar

7th - 8th “Japan Society of Hydrology and Water Resources” at Hosei Univ. 10th 29th ICHARM R&D seminar

15th Presentation of Action Plan, Farewell Party at ICHARM 16th Graduation Ceremony at GRIPS

17th Closing Ceremony at JICA 18th Departure from Japan

2.2 Course

Curriculum

2.2.1 Lectures and Exercises

The course is oriented towards problem solving and focuses on application to actual tasks. Therefore, in addition to basic studies on water hazard risk management, it is characterized by heavy emphasis on studies and exercises involving actual applications.

Table 2-2 shows the list of course classes. Overall, the course consists of 20 subjects in three categories: I. Required Courses, II. Recommended Courses and III. Elective Courses. In the main, lecture-oriented courses are Recommended Courses, and exercise-oriented courses are Elective Courses.

Each subject consists of 15 periods. To be awarded a master’s degree, students must earn at least 30 credits, 16 credits of which must be from Recommended Courses. Students are awarded a master’s degree on “Disaster Management” after having earned the necessary credits and passing the thesis review. Students are not necessarily required to complete all subjects to earn the necessary credits, but the students on this course took all subjects. Table 2-3 shows how each subject corresponds to the course output described in 1.3. Reference 2-2 lists the curriculum for each course, and Reference 2-3 gives the syllabus for each subject.

2.2.2 Lecturers

The lecturers for this course include not only ICHARM researchers but also many professionals invited from PWRI, NILIM and universities, so that students can learn the latest information. Including internal lecturers and those invited from outside, there are around 74 lecturers. Table 2-4 shows the list of lecturers.

With respect to the implementation of lectures, exercises, and individual studies on this course, the ICHARM staff and external lecturers listed in Reference 2-4 are also contracted to act as GRIPS coordinating instructors, providing various guidance.

2.2.3 Field Trips and Lectures conducted by Disaster Prevention Administration Officials

In order that students can learn by observing the actual conditions relating to Japan’s flood countermeasures, the course, in addition to lectures and exercises at ICHARM, has nine field trips, including some one-day trips, to reservoirs, diversion channels, dams, and landslide prevention sites. Students also visit Regional Bureaus of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and local government offices to listen to lectures given by disaster prevention officials whose work involves direct interaction with local residents. These officials give explanations of the flood information transmission systems and flood hazard maps used in Japan so that students can enhance their understanding of the problems actually encountered by Japanese disaster prevention authorities. Reference 2-5 shows the list of field trip sites.

The field trip sites were carefully selected so that students can actually observe the flood prevention facilities described in lectures and see representative flood prevention facilities in Japan. The trip itineraries were also arranged to encompass the entire river basin, such as observation of the Yodo and Kurobe Rivers which provides coverage that stretches from upstream to downstream areas. To ensure that they are not simply enjoyed in the manner of leisure excursions, students are required to submit reports after field trips so as to enhance their understanding of the relevant issues. Reference 2-6 shows the itineraries of the nine field trips, and Reference 2-7 gives details of students’ report assignments.

Table 2-2 List of courses

Category Course No. Course Title Instructor Term Credit

I. Required

Courses DMP480E Individual Study

Winter through

Summer 10

DMP200E Disaster Mitigation Policy Morichi Winter 2

DMP201E Disaster Risk Management Okazaki Winter 2

DMP280E Basic Hydrology Jayawardena Fall through

Winter 2

DMP281E Hydraulics Ishikawa Fall through

Winter 2

DMP282E Basic Concepts of Integrated Flood

Risk Management(IFRM) Takeuchi

Fall through

Winter 2

DMP283E Local Disaster Management and

Hazard Mapping Tanaka

Fall through

Winter 2

DMP380E Advanced Hydrology Jayawardena Fall through

Winter 2

DMP381E Flood Hydraulics and Sediment

Transport Fukuoka

Fall through

Winter 2

DMP382E Mechanics of Sediment

Transportation and Channel Changes Egashira

Fall through

Winter 2

DMP383E Sustainable Reservoir Development

& Management Matsumoto

Fall through

Winter 2 16 30

DMP384E Control Measures for Landslide &

Debris Flow Okubo

Fall through

Winter 2

DMP180E Computer Programming Tanaka Fall through

Winter 1

DMP284E Practice on Hydraulics Ishikawa Fall through

Spring 1

DMP285E Practice on Inundation Analysis Tanaka Fall through

Spring 1

DMP286E Practice on Local Disaster

Management Plan Tanaka

Fall through

Spring 1

DMP385E Practice on Advanced Hydrology Jayawardena Fall through

Spring 1

DMP386E Practice on Flood Forecasting Fukami Fall through

Spring 1

DMP387E Practice on Sustainable Reservoir

Development & Management Matsumoto

Fall through

Spring 1

DMP388E Practice on Control Measures for

Landslide & Debris Flow Okubo

Fall through Spring 1 II. Recommended Courses III. Elective Courses

Table 2-3 Courses contributing to outputs

Course output Contributing subjects 1) Become knowledgeable about the

recent practices in integrated flood risk management in various localities in the world.

 Basic Concepts of Integrated Flood Risk management (IFRM)

2) Become able to define the requirements for local/national effective risk reduction, including public policies and design a local/national risk management frameworks, institutional coordination and management mechanisms including all stakeholders.

 Disaster Management Policy

 Disaster Risk Management

 Local Disaster Management and Hazard Mapping

 Practice on Local Disaster Management Plan

3) Become able to develop

local/national indicators to detect and monitor changes in the basis of emergency responses and disaster risk reduction policies and to monitor the status and effectiveness of these policies.

 Computer Programming

 Basic Hydrology

 Hydraulics

 Practice on Hydraulics

 Advanced Hydrology

 Flood Hydraulics and Sediment Transport

 Mechanics of Sediment Transportation and River Changes

 Practice on Advanced Hydrology

 Practice on Inundation Analysis

 Sustainable Reservoir Development & Management

 Practice on Sustainable Reservoir Development & Management

 Control Measures for Landslide & Debris Flow

 Practice on Control Measures for Landslide & Debris Flow 4) Become able to contribute for the

implementation of plans

developed based on the identified integrated risk management policy by making them

underpinned by a clear financial, institutional and legislative framework.

 Individual Study

5) Become able to develop risk management strategies

considering all the management cycle components, namely emergency response, recovery, mitigation and preparedness taking into account risk perception and communication issues and emerging threats such as global warming and climate change.

 (Basic Concepts of Integrated Flood Risk management (IFRM))

Table 2-4 List of Lecturers

Lecture Lecturer

Disaster Mitigation Policy Shigeru Morichi National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) Professor 1 Muneo Hori The University of Tokyo Professor 2 Hiroshi Oyama Institute for Transport Policy Studies Senior Researcher 3 Kazushi Sano Nagaoka University of Technology Asso. Professor 4

Shigeki Unjou Research Center for Disaster Risk Management, NILIM

Research Coordinator for Earthquake Disaster

Prevention 5

Disaster Risk

Management Kenji Okazaki National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) Professor 6 Ikuo Shimomura National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) Professor 7

Shigeo Ochi Cabinet Office Counselor 8

Naoto Tajiri Cabinet Office Counselor 9

Ken-ichiro Tachi River Planning Division, River Bureau, MLIT Deputy Director 10

Basic Hydrology, AmithirigalaWidhanelage JAYAWARDENA

ICHARM, PWRI Research & Training Advisor 11 Advanced Hydrology Shinya Tanaka Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Senior Engineer 12 Takuji Kubota Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Researcher 13 Hydraulics, Tadaharu Ishikawa Tokyo Institute of Technology Professor 14 Practice on Hydraulics Atsuhiro Yorozuya ICHARM, PWRI Research Specialist 15

Kuniyoshi Takeuchi ICHARM, PWRI Director 16

Taikan Oki University of Tokyo Professor 17

Yuuichi Onda University of Tsukuba Professor 18 Masahiro Imbe Association for Rainwater Storage and Infiltration Technology Executive Director 19 Katsumi Wakigawa Japan Institute of Construction Engineering Deputy Director 20 Atsushi Yoshii Civil Engineering Research Institute for Cold Regions, PWRI Executive Director for_{Research Coordination} 21 Shigenobu Tanaka ICHARM, PWRI Deputy Director 22

Kei Kudo ICHARM, PWRI Team Leader 23

Masatomo Umitsu Nagoya University Professor 24

Haruo Hayashi Kyoto University Professor 25

Frank van der

Meulen Integrated Coastal Zone Management, UNESCO-IHE Asso. Professor 26 Keiichi Yamamoto Kanto Regional Bureau, MLIT Coodinator for flood_forecasting 27 Kazushige Kobayashi Tone River Upstream Office, MLIT Section Chief 28 Tomohiro Hukamachi Japan Meteorological Agency 29 Shinobu Kudo Adachi Ward, Tokyo Section Chief 30

Taiji Noguchi Kiyosu City, Aichi 31

Mikio Takasu Disaster Risk Management Department, Mie Prefecture Section Chief 32 Local Disaster

Management and Hazard Mapping,

Basic Concepts of Integrated Flood Risk management (IFRM)

Practice on Local Disaster Management Plan

Shoji Fukuoka Chuo University Professor 36 Yasuharu Watanabe Kitami Institute of Technology Professor 37 Mechanics of Sediment

Transportation and River

Changes Shinji Egashira NEWJEC Inc.

Leader for

Engineering 38 Norihisa Matsumoto Japan Dam Engineering Center Advisor 39 Josuke Kashiwai Japan Dam Engineering Center Head Researcher 40 Hideaki Kawasaki Yamaguchi University Professor 41

Tetsuya Sumi Kyoto University Professor 42

Kunihiko Amano Environment Department,_{National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management,} Team Leader 43

Tadahiko Sakamoto PWRI Chief Executive 44

Yoshikazu

Yamaguchi Hydraulic Engineering Research Group, PWRI Team Leader 45 Hitoshi Umino Hydraulic Engineering Research Group, PWRI Senior Researcher 46

Shun Okubo Japan Sabo Association Advisor 47

Hiroshi Ikeya Sabo Technical Center Director 48 Masayuki Watanabe Institute for International Development, Disaster Prevention_{and Peace Inc.} Director 49 Hiroyuki Yoshimatsu Institute of Slope Technology Director 50 Yoshiharu Ishikawa Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Professor 51 Kazuyuki Takanashi Asia Air Survey Co., Ltd. Senior Executive

Officer 52 Ryosuke Tsunaki Landslide Engineering Dept., Sabo Technical Center Manager 53 Nobutomo Osanai Research Center for Disaster Risk Management,_{National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management,} Team Leader 54 Takashi Yamada Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University Asso. Professor 55 Yoshihumu Hara Erosion and Sediment Control Research Group, PWRI Group Leader 56 Kazunori Fujisawa Erosion and Sediment Control Research Group, PWRI Team Leader 57 Yasuo Ishii Snow Avalanche and Landslide Research Center, PWRI Team Leader 58 Kouji Ishida Erosion and Sediment Control Research Group, PWRI Senior Researcher 59 Computer Programming RAJAPAKSE_{Hemantha Lalith} ICHARM, PWRI Research Specialist 60 PHAM Thanh Hai ICHARM, PWRI Research Specialist 61 Practice on Inundation

Analysis Osti Rabindra ICHARM, PWRI Senior Researcher 62 Jun Magome ICHARM, PWRI Research Specialist 63 Venkatesh Raghavan Graduate School for Creative Cities, Osaka City University Professor 64 Practice on Flood

Forecasting Kazuhiko Fukami ICHARM, PWRI Team Leader 65 Tomonobu Sugiura ICHARM, PWRI Senior Researcher 66

Go Ozawa ICHARM, PWRI Researcher 67

Takahiro Kawakami ICHARM, PWRI Researcher 68

Tutor for Master's Thesis Katsuhito Miyake ICHARM, PWRI Team Leader 69 Chavoshian Seyed Ali ICHARM, PWRI Research Specialist 70 Tadashi Nakasu ICHARM, PWRI Research Specialist 71 Mamoru Miyamoto ICHARM, PWRI Research Specialist 72

Takahiro Sayama ICHARM, PWRI Researcher 73

Hironori Inomata ICHARM, PWRI Researcher 74

Sustainable Reservoir Development & Management

Control Measures for Landslide & Debris Flow Flood Hydraulics and Sediment Transport

2.2.4 Studying and Living Environment

As is usual in universities, lesson time is divided into credits of 90 minutes. Table 2-5 shows the daily timetable. Students accepted through JICA recruitment stay at JICA Tsukuba (Kouyadai, Ushiku, Ibaraki) and commute to classes on the JICA bus.

As was the case last year, in the first half of the course from October to March there is an “Nicchoku” (officer-of-the-day) system, with the students participating in turn; the student assigned as the Nicchoku for the day performs tasks such as taking attendance, cleaning whiteboards after classes, making sure doors and windows are locked and lights are turned off, and writing a simple report on the day’s results on a “Nicchoku Sheet” (one page of A4 sized paper). In the second half of the course, from April to September, which mainly consists of individual study, students take turns on a weekly basis, checking attendance and producing a weekly summary report. Reference 2-8 shows the Nicchoku Sheet.

The organizer made the following improvements this year with regard to the studying and living environment.

 The new student rooms were completed in November 2009. This enabled students to focus on writing their reports and master’s theses using their own desks in a favorable learning environment outside class hours.

 Explanations were given of how to search online journals (Elsevier) in the NILIM library and students were taken to the University of Tsukuba where they were given an introduction to library search systems, thereby providing them with opportunities to access materials and journals necessary for their studies.

 One bicycle was provided for students to use so that Muslim students could easily visit mosques outside PWRI every Friday.

 ICHARM provided a coffee maker for the use of students.

 A “Master’s Course Intra” was established using Google software to provide a forum for students and others involved in the course to share documents, schedules, and notifications, enabling them to check this information from outside ICHARM. Figure 2-2 shows example screenshots.

New student room

(Unlike the previous one, the room now has windows and

Lunch table Table 2-5-1 Daily timetable

1st period 9:00-10:30 2nd period 10:45-12:15 3rd period 13:15-14:45 4th period 15:00-16:30

Figure 2-2 Example “Master’s Course Intra” screenshot

2.3 Master’s

Thesis

As mentioned above, this course is characterized by its “Problem Solving-Oriented” nature, which aims to allow students think and solve problems rather than forcing them to study. In accordance with this objective, students are required, for their master’s thesis on this course, to study themes related to solving problems in their own countries. We hope to develop people with the ability to create comprehensive plans for the reduction of damage from water-related disasters and to promote problem solving in the home countries of our students when they return there.

Therefore, immediately after the course starts, we held an “Inception Report” presentation in which students explained the water related problems in their home countries, gave information concerning the areas in which they were planning to study for their master’s theses, and described the tasks required for the performance of projects. Following this, in November 2009 - one month earlier than last year - ICHARM supervisors and students discussed themes for study, and students started working on their own study themes from late March 2010, at which time they had completed most of their lectures and exercises. The deadline for submitting master’s theses was August 23, 2010, and submission was followed by acceptance examinations in GRIPS to determine whether master’s degrees could be awarded.

2.4 Yearbook

In previous years, ICHARM has created yearbooks containing photographs of lectures, exercises, and field trips, which were given to the students at the JICA closing ceremony. Starting this year, students were requested to design page and photograph layouts to reflect their own ideas so that students would feel a greater sense of attachment to their yearbooks. The yearbooks were handed over to students at the JICA closing ceremony, as in the previous year.

Chapter 3: 2009-2010 Activity Report

Group Photograph taken at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (September, 16, 2010) (From third person from the left: Professor Jayawardena (ICHARM), Professor Morichi (GRIPS), Professor

Okazaki (GRIPS), Professor Takeuchi (ICHARM), Professor Tanaka (ICHARM))

(See photographs at the beginning of this report.)

ICHARM implemented the Water-related Disaster Management Course of Disaster Management Policy Program (JICA training name “TRAINING FOR EXPERT ON FLOOD-RELATED DISASTER MITIGATION”) over a period of around one year from September 28, 2009 to September 18, 2010 as a joint program with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS).

The course has several specific features, as follows. Students can earn a master’s degree in one year. The training is oriented toward problem solving in order to improve the students’ ability to propose solutions to actual problems in their home countries. The course focuses on actual tasks rather than theory.

The course started with 13 students, but Mr. BOGAHAPITIYA GAMAGE Samantha Kumara from Sri Lanka had to return home before completing the program (December 2009), due to family reasons. Therefore, at the end of the course, twelve students (one from China, two from Bangladesh, three from Indonesia, one from Ethiopia, one from Myanmar, one from Japan, one from Sri Lanka, one from Thailand, and one from the Philippines) successfully passed the thesis examination, earned master’s degrees (Disaster Management), and returned to their countries.

The course started on October 8, 2009, with a statement of objectives by Mr. Jerry Austria Fano (Filipino) acting as the student representative at the opening ceremony, which was held in the special conference room on the second floor of the PWRI building. The ceremony was attended by PWRI executives (Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive, Executive Director for Research Coordination, Director of General Affairs Department, and Director of Planning and Research Administration Department), personnel from ICHARM (Professor Takeuchi, Professor Jayawardena, Professor Tanaka, and Professor Kudo), and personnel from JICA Tsukuba (Director Sato, Mr. Shimotachi,

The first half of this one year course consisted mainly of lectures and exercises related to water-related disasters, and in the second half, students spent a long period working on their individual studies. The students also went on field trips in order to learn from the actual locations where Japan’s flood countermeasures are implemented.

The instructors on the course included not only researchers at ICHARM but also those at PWRI, NILIM, and universities in Japan involved in leading edge research in various fields of study connected with water-related disasters.

< Lectures and exercises >

First, from October to January, Professor Kuniyoshi Takeuchi (ICHARM), Professor Taikan Oki (University of Tokyo), Professor Yuichi Onda (University of Tsukuba), Associate Professor Katsumi Wakigawa (Japan Institute of Construction Engineering), and Dr. Atsushi Yoshii (Executive Director for Research Coordination of Civil Engineering Research Institute for Cold Regions, PWRI) gave lectures under the title “Basic Concepts of Integrated Flood Risk Management” (IFRM) enabling students to learn about the basic concepts of flood disaster management.

During the same period, Professor Shoji Fukuoka (Chuo University) and Professor Yasuharu Watanabe (Kitami Institute of Technology) gave lectures under the title “Flood Hydraulics and Sediment Transport” teaching the basic principles of flood flow and sediment transport. These lectures were followed by “Mechanics of Sediment Transportation and River Changes” lectures, by Professor Shinji Egashira (NEWJEC Inc.) - this being a new class this year - and “Hydraulics” lectures and exercises by Professor Tadaharu Ishikawa (Tokyo Institute of Technology) and Dr. Atsuhiro Yorozuya (ICHARM Research Specialist).

Professor Jayawardena Amithirigala (ICHARM) conducted “Basic Hydrology” and “Advanced Hydrology” lectures and exercises from October to early March, giving extensive coverage, both qualitatively and quantitatively, of methods for handling the various hydrological data which forms the fundamental data of flood prevention.

ICHARM researchers took the main initiative in conducting exercises. In addition to the “Hydraulics” exercises mentioned above, the program included “Computer Programming” (Associate Professor Hai and Instructor Rajapaksa (both ICHARM Research Specialists)) teaching numerical analysis using tools such as FORTRAN, and “Practice on Inundation Analysis” (Associate Professor Osti (ICHARM senior researcher) and Associate Professor Jun Magome (ICHARM Research Specialist)). A course entitled “Practice on Flood Forecasting” (Associate Professor Kazuhiko Fukami, senior researcher Tomonobu Sugiura, exchange researcher Mr. Go Ozawa and exchange researcher Mr. Takahiro Kawakami), was given as a new exercise class this year, this providing intensive exercises on IFAS, which ICHARM is developing and promoting.

The “Local Disaster Management and Hazard Mapping” lectures and exercises were conducted jointly with the “Local Emergency Operation Plan with Flood Hazard Map” JICA training for around one month in November. Combining these two courses, there was a total of 23 students from 13 countries: three from Bangladesh, one from Pakistan, one from China, one from Ethiopia, five from Indonesia, one from Laos, two from Myamnar, one from Bhutan, one from the Philippines, two from Thailand, three from Sri Lanka, one from Tajikistan, and one from Japan. We believe it was highly stimulating for students on both courses to participate in lectures and exercises together with students from so many other countries.

For this subject, Professor Shigenobu Tanaka and Adjunct Professor Kei Kudo (ICHARM) gave lectures on Japan’s disaster prevention systems and river information systems, guest lecturer Professor Haruo Hayashi (Kyoto University) on disaster psychology, and Professor Masatomo Umitsu (Nagoya University) on geomorphology. In addition, we invited the participation of Associate Professor Frank van der Meulen from UNESCO-IHE with which ICHARM has an instructor exchange agreement for training programs, and Dr. van der Meulen gave a special lecture on the effects of climate change on low altitude countries.

Kanto Regional Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Tone River Upstream Office, Mie Prefectural Disaster Risk Management Department, Ise City in Mie, Adachi-ku in Tokyo, and Kiyosu City in Aichi to listen to numerous lectures - given by disaster prevention officers who work closely with local residents - on systems for transmitting flood information to local residents and on flood hazard mapping. When the class visited Ise City, the students were welcomed at city hall with applause from city officials, and greeted by the mayor. We also conducted a meeting with community leaders of the Enza and Ominato areas in Ise to learn details of local disaster prevention activities in Japan. This opportunity allowed students to learn about the importance of self-help and mutual assistance, which form the basis of disaster prevention. We also conducted town-watching (an observational walkabout) in the Ominato area.

Intensive lectures were offered at GRIPS (Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo) for two weeks in late January. These lectures included “Disaster Mitigation Policy” and “Disaster Risk Management” by Professor Shigeru Morichi (GRIPS) and Professor Kenji Okazaki (GRIPS). Students also attended special lectures in the Cabinet Office and visited Nagoya and Kyoto to participate in observation tours.

From February to March, intensive lectures and exercises were offered on “Sustainable Reservoir Development & Management” and “Control Measures for Landslide & Debris Flow” covering the application of flood countermeasures in Japan.

The “Sustainable Reservoir Development & Management” lectures covered the latest trends and technologies relating to dams, and were given by numerous lecturers including Professor Norihisa Matsumoto (Japan Dam Engineering Center), Chief Executive Tadahiko Sakamoto, Professor Yoshikazu Yamaguchi (PWRI), Senior Researcher Hitoshi Umino (PWRI), Professor Tetsuya Sumi (Kyoto University), Professor Hideaki Kawasaki (Yamaguchi University), Team Leader Kunihiko Amano (NILIM), and Head Researcher Jusuke Kashiwai (Japan Dam Engineering Center).

The “Control Measures for Landslide & Debris Flow” lectures covered the latest trends and technologies relating to erosion control, and were given by Professor Shun Okubo (Japan Sabo Association), Professor Hiroshi Ikeya and Manager Ryosuke Tsunaki (both from Sabo Technical Center), Group Leader Yoshifumi Hara, Team Leader Yasuo Ishii and Kazunori Fujisawa, and Senior Researcher Koji Ishii (all from PWRI), Professor Yoshiharu Ishikawa (Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology), Instructor Kazuyuki Takanashi (Senior Executive Officer, Asia Air Survey Co., Ltd.), Team Leader Nobutomo Osanai (NILIM), Associate Professor Takashi Yamada (Mie University), President Masayuki Watanabe (Institute for International Development, Disaster Prevention and Peace Inc.) and Director Hiroyuki Yoshimatsu (Institute of Slope Technology).

Plentiful opportunities were also provided to learn about the latest trends and knowledge regarding water-related disasters in Japan and the rest of the world by encouraging the students to actively participate in the “2009 ICHARM Quick Report”, held on December 10th, to which world-class flood experts were invited, and by requesting them to actively participate in ICHARM R&D Seminars etc.

< Field trips and exercises >

With the support of local offices of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and local governments, there were field trips to various flood control facilities in Japan enabling students to acquire clues to solving the problems presented by water-related disasters in their various countries.

First, there was a visit to the Watarase Retarding Basin, Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel, and Edo River Super Levee on October 15, 2009. At these sites, students learned about typical structural measures for the prevention of floods in Japan. The field trip was jointly conducted with the JICA training “Comprehensive River and Dam Management” course and provided

Hazard Maps” located throughout the town - including important points to bear in mind when creating such maps - together with the flood information boards located at Kurihashi Station and the old Kurihashi town hall.

From November 16th to 18th, we visited the Chubu region and observed and learned about the restoration work at the Shonai River, the three-way separation work of the Kiso River, and the Kumozu River open levee, listening at the same time to explanations by officials from the MLIT. With the support of Ise City officials, we conducted a “town watching” exercise as a form of group work in the Ominato area of Ise City, Mie. This enabled students to improve their understanding, with each group drawing their walking routes on maps and discussing the type of preparations and measures that should be implemented in order to raise awareness of local residents regarding disasters.

On November 20th, we visited hydrologic gauging stations (Kuroko Water Level and Flow Observation Station and Shimodate Precipitation Station) on the Kokai River in order to acquaint the students with the manner in which Japan’s hydrologic observations are actually made.

On December 3rd, under the direction of Associate Professor Masahiro Imbe (Executive Director of the Association for Rainwater Storage and Infiltration Technology) we visited the Tsurumi River Retarding Basin, Kirigaoka Retarding Basin, and houses of local residents who have installed rainwater infiltration systems on their properties. Students were even able to listen to descriptions of an infiltration system directly from Yutaka Takahashi, the professor emeritus of University of Tokyo, at his private residence.

From April 20th to 23rd, 2010, we visited the Chugoku and Kinki regions and observed the Hii, Ota, and Yodo Rivers. Students first listened to an explanation of the overall plan of the “three-in-one” flood prevention project for the Hii River at the Ohashi River Community Center then observed the Hii River Diversion Channel and the Obara Dam. Following this, we traveled to Hiroshima City, where the students learned about flood control plans for the Ota River and observed the Takase Weir and Gion Watergate. On April 22nd, students inspected the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution (Kobe City), followed by the Yodo River Weir, super levee, and small inlets in the downstream area of the Yodo River. Following this, students learned about the history and flood planning of the Yodo River at Yodogawa Museum. On the final day, the students went to see the Kamenose landslide area, one of the largest landslide areas in Japan, the Amagase Dam, the Seta River Submerged Weir, and Aqua Biwa.

On April 27th, in Shibukawa City, Gunma, the students participated, in heavy rain, in a Tone River flow observation exercise using an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurement gauge under the instruction of Dr. Yorozuya and with the support of Suimon Kankyo, Co., Ltd..

On May 15th, students observed the 59th Flood Fighting Drill in Tone River, participating in exercises, such as sandbag preparation and rope tying, under the instruction of officials of MLIT.

From May 26th to 28th, there was a visit to the Tohoku and the Kanto regions. The students observed the Isawa Dam construction site and the Ichinoseki Retarding Basin to learn about flood prevention measures for the Kitakami River. We also visited the Fujisawa town hall in Iwate and listened to explanations of the Land Use-integrated Flood Disaster Prevention Project for areas with narrow flows on the Kitakami River. Incidentally, this was the first time that non-Japanese personnel had visited the project site, and we belief that it is meaningful for students to learn, with respect to Japan’s flood control measures, the necessity not only of those that are infrastructure based but also those that are system/regulation based. In the Kashimadai area of Osaki City in Miyagi, students inspected the “secondary levee”, learning about a flood prevention method which does not rely only on a continuous levee. Following this, we moved to the Kanto region where the students observed an erosion control project (Onagi mountainside construction) under the jurisdiction of the Nikko Erosion Control Office, together with construction to connect the Kawaji and the Ikari Dams. Students were even able to walk on the catwalk at the Kawaji Dam.

On June 17th and 18th, we visited the Hokuriku region. At the Kurobe River, as they traveled from the coastal area to the Unaduki Dam in the upstream region, students observed and learned about

open levees and connected sand elimination systems. Following this, students learned about past flood countermeasures for the Shinano River at the Shinano River Ohkouzu Museum and observed the new movable weir which is now under construction. There was also a visit to the Imo River basin where a large erosion control system was constructed after the massive damage caused by the 2004 Chuetsu Earthquake which occurred near the site. At the Nagaoka City Yamakoshi Branch Office, students watched a DVD showing restoration work, following which they inspected a site implementing measures against natural dams.

At the end of their visit to each inspection site, one student, acting as a representative for the group, expressed their appreciation. Students were also required to submit reports regarding these inspections.

< Master’s thesis >

For the writing of the master’s thesis, ICHARM researchers individually consulted with students and properly supported their research while respecting the topics that the students wished to study, these being intended to contribute to the solution of problems presented by water-related disasters in their own home countries.

At the beginning of the course, for three days in mid-October, we invited an external instructor and conducted “Project Cycle Management”, a very useful exercise enabling students to objectively analyze the problems in their countries and determine the direction of their master’s theses before commencing work on them.

Starting in mid-November, we provided several opportunities for free-discussion in which students exchanged opinions regarding their study themes with Professors Takeuchi and Jayawardena, and ICHARM researchers. In addition, students gave interim thesis presentations five times during the course, on December 22nd, January 21st, April 9th, June 3rd, and July 16th. These allowed the students to receive advice from ICHARM researchers and to compare their progress with other students, also enabling them to remain motivated in the preparation of their theses. Last year, students gave only one interim presentation, but the number was increased this year because it was thought necessary to check progress more frequently in the light of problems that were experienced last year. Students gave their final presentations on the results of the year’s work on August 6th. Professor Okazaki from GRIPS was invited to attend the final presentation.

Students who had been accepted through JICA recruitment created Action Plans, in which they reported on activities they would be engaging in after they returned home, and these were presented at PWRI on September 15th.

Starting from last year’s program, the students are encouraged to submit their theses to Japanese academic societies. In this year’s program, Mr. Partha (Bangladesh) and Mr. Somchit (Thailand) successfully gave oral presentations at the Japan Society of Hydrology and Water Resources (Ichigaya Campus, Hosei University) from September 7th to 9th. We believe this reflected the results of the three-year of effort that we have made since the establishment of the program, aiming at further improving it and ensuring that it is as good as other university programs. We intend to continue providing such opportunities for students to present their studies outside the program in order to motivate them in their work on their master’s theses. This year’s students were unable to attend the International Summer Symposium of the Japan Society of Civil Engineers, which last year’s students attended, because the symposium was held on the same day as their designated day for leaving Japan.

< Others >

Homeroom sessions with students and ICHARM instructors, were held around once a month, giving opportunities for students to express their opinions regarding improvement of their daily lives

On September 16th, the graduation ceremony was held at GRIPS. Professor Morichi announced the names of the students, and the Dean of GRIPS presented a diploma to each of them on the stage, the students then firmly shaking hands with Professor Takeuchi. Reference 3-1 shows the diploma that GRIPS and ICHARM jointly issued to the students. The Dean awarded Mr. Partha the Dean’s Award, as the best student overall in the Disaster Management Policy Program.

On the following day, September 17th, the closing ceremony for the JICA training was held in JICA Tsukuba. Mr. Hishinuma, who is not a JICA student, attended the ceremony as an observer thanks to the kind consideration of JICA Tsukuba. In the ceremony, Mr. Sato, the Director of JICA Tsukuba, Mr. Uomoto, Chief Executive of PWRI, and Professor Okazaki of GRIPS gave their congratulatory comments, followed by the awarding of program completion certificates to one student each from JICA and PWRI. Starting this year, GRIPS and PWRI have jointly established the Best Research Award for the student who wrote the best master’s thesis. Professor Takeuchi presented this new award to Mr. Somchit. In addition, ICHARM presented the ICHARM Sontoku Award, which is given to the student who made the best contribution to the operation of the program, based on the votes of all students, this also being awarded to Mr. Somchit. Reference 3-2 shows the training completion certificate that PWRI issued, Reference 3-3 the Best Research Award, and Reference 3-4 the ICHARM Sontoku Award.

On the following day, September 18th, the non-Japanese students returned to their home countries.

As described above, the objective of this course is to develop officials who are oriented towards problem solving based on sound theory and skills and who are capable of making good use of their abilities for planning and implementing flood management within a comprehensive river basin management framework, at all levels, from the national to the local.

Through this one-year master’s program, students, in addition to acquiring basic knowledge of hydrology, hydraulics and sediment transportation to a possibly higher level than other college students in Japan, also gained a thorough understanding of applied knowledge such as disaster policy, comprehensive flood management, local disaster prevention planning, dam engineering, and landslide engineering. In addition, students had many opportunities to make actual observations of flood countermeasures in Japan. It is also our belief that we succeeded in providing a good environment in which each student could work towards their master’s thesis.

However, the development of officials who are oriented toward problem solving cannot be accomplished by a one-year master’s program alone. We feel that it is necessary to follow up, on a continuing basis, on the activities of students after they return home.