Information Networking

ICHARM promotes information networking worldwide

  Since its establishment, ICHARM has been working to expand an information networking that is highly functional and worldwide. ICHARM has always been active in networking water professionals around the globe and collecting information and experience related to large-scale water disasters around the world for analyzing and sharing them internationally.

  In addition, ICHARM continues working on mainstreaming disaster management in the world through the International Flood Initiative (IFI), the Typhoon Committee (TC), the Asian Water Cycle Initiative (AWCI), and other major international organizations.

International Flood Initiative (IFI)

  The International Flood Initiative (IFI) is a worldwide framework to promote collaboration in flood management among international organizations, such as UNESCO, WMO, UNU and UNDRR. ICHARM has been serving as its secretariat.

  On October 31, 2016, IFI hosted a side event in advance of the 8th High-Level Expert Panel on Water and Disaster (HELP), and the participants discussed implementation strategies and frameworks for action proposed to achieve better flood management throughout the world.

  The meeting adopted the Jakarta Declaration to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration to further advance sustainable development and flood risk reduction. Based on the declaration, ICHARM has been conducting activities to support countries in establishing the Platform on Water Resilience and Disaster to discuss and formulate strategies for disaster risk reduction in collaboration with other IFI partners. This effort has already started in Asia-Pacific countries such as the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Pakistan, and is expected to expand to other countries.

  Click below for more information:
  http://www.ifi-home.info/

Typhoon Committee (TC)

  The Typhoon Committee (TC) is an intergovernmental community jointly organized in 1968 by UNESCAP and WMO to promote and coordinate the development and implementation of plans to minimize human and physical damage caused by typhoons in the Asia-Pacific region. The members are composed of governmental organizations of 14 nations and territories in East and Southeast Asia. The committee consists of four Working Groups of Meteorology, Hydrology, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Training and Research, each of which works on its projects independently. Integrated workshops and annual sessions are also held periodically.

Click below for more information:
https://www.typhooncommittee.org/

  An ICHARM senior researcher currently chairs the Working Group of Hydrology (WGH), leading its activities with support from MLIT.

  ICHARM received the Dr. Roman L. Kintanar Award 2020 with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Infrastructure Development Institute (IDI) at the 53rd Annual Session, held online on February 23-25, 2021. This is a very prestigious award given to institutions to commend their significant contributions to the achievement of the mission and vision of TC.

              Click below for more information:
              Dr. Roman L. Kintanar Award (TC Website)
              https://www.typhooncommittee.org/rules-and-procedures-of-dr-kintanar-award/
              On receiving the Dr. Roman L. Kintanar Award 2020 (ICHARM Newsletter Vol. 60)
              https://www.pwri.go.jp/icharm/publication/newsletter/pdf/icharm_newsletter_issue60.pdf#page=19

＜Latest activities (Source: ICHARM Newsletter)＞
The 18th Integrated Workshop and the 4th Training and Research Coordination Group Forum (November 28 to December 1, 2023)
  The Typhoon Committee (TC) jointly held the 18th Integrated Workshop (IWS) and the 4th Training and Research Coordination Group (TRCG) Forum from November 28 to December 1, 2023, at the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand. TC’s four working groups, Meteorology (WGM), Hydrology (WGH), Disaster Risk Reduction (WGDRR), and TRCG, gathered together to discuss typhoon-related research, technical presentations, the progress and operational plans of the Annual Operation Plan (AOPs), and other agenda items.
https://www.pwri.go.jp/icharm/publication/newsletter/pdf/icharm_newsletter_issue71.pdf#page=21

The 56th Annual Session (February 27 to March 1, 2024)
  The 56th annual session of the Typhoon Committee (TC) was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from February 27 to March 1, 2024. Annual sessions are pivotal meetings where all stakeholders gather to make comprehensive decisions based on the activities of each working group.
  Approximately 96 participants attended the meeting from 12 nations and territories (China, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States), the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and the TC Secretariat. The event marked the first in-person annual session in the post-COVID era. From ICHARM, Senior Researcher MIYAMOTO Mamoru, currently serving as the chairperson of the TC’s WGH and a member of the AWG, and Researcher KAKINUMA Daiki participated.

Click below for more information:
https://www.pwri.go.jp/icharm/publication/newsletter/pdf/icharm_newsletter_issue72.pdf#page=9

Asia Water Cycle Initiative (AWCI)

  Human factors, such as globalization, population growth, poverty, urbanization and changes in land use, are aggravating the negative consequences of climatological, hydrological and meteorological hazards. Extreme climate events are also increasing water-related disaster risks faced by populations living in vulnerable areas. Losses are increasing in both developed and developing countries, and in this inter-connected world, the impact of an event can immediately cross borders, leading to cascading consequences, even in areas that are remote from the event. Repeated exposure to disasters is hampering sustainable development in vulnerable localities. AWCI (Asian Water Cycle Initiative) aims to promote comprehensive efforts to solve such water related problems in Asia, as one of Task Groups (TG1) of AOGEO (Asian Oceania Group on Earth Observations).

For more information, please access the website;
http://www.ifi-home.info/awci/index.html

Major International Conferences

  ICHARM continues its efforts to support collaboration and coordination among organizations and mainstream disaster risk reduction by holding sessions and side events at major international conferences while sharing good practices and knowledge of water-related disaster risk management.

FY2023
  ICHARM held a side event, “Crosscutting Research on Hydrological Systems, Rivers, Climate Risk and Water-Food- Energy Nexus,” on the occasion of an international conference, “Climate Risk, Vulnerability and Resilience Building,” held by UNESCO on April 19, 2023. As a result of discussions, the participants agreed to conduct a joint research program targeting Africa with the cooperation of five Category 2 centers, aiming to promote cross-cutting and integrated multilateral cooperation through addressing water issues.

Click below for the meeting report:
　1.「Crosscutting Research on Hydrological Systems, Rivers, Climate Risk and Water-Food-Energy Nexus」

FY2022