Centro Banamex

The 4th World Water Forum was held at the Centro Banamex convention center in Mexico City on March 16-22, 2006. More than 10,000 people registered to participate, and for the week, experts, researchers, and the general public from all over the world discussed various water issues and joined awareness promoting events.

ICHARM hosted one of the exhibitions at the Japan Pavilion and co-hosted a session with UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization at the Forum to promote the public awareness of the newly-born institute.

For an overview of the 4th World Water Forum, visit the Japan Water Forum at http://www.waterforum.jp/.

[ICHARM exhibition booth]

ICHARM ran self-promoting activities at the Japan Pavilion, part of the World Water Expo where companies and research institutes worldwide set their own booths to present their activities. At our booth, we exhibited panels outlining the policies and activities of ICHARM. We had a great turnout and quite a few people eagerly asked for information about ICHARM. We prepared 500 pamphlets for visitors but were gone in no time, and we ended up handing out photo copies of the pamphlet for the rest of the week. Thanks to Ms. Fumie Hiroike, a volunteer Spanish translator who is currently a college student in Mexico, we were able to promote ICHARM a great deal although approximately half the visitors were Mexican people.

ICHARM exhibition booth

ICHARM staff answering questions

[Presentation in the "Integrated Flood Management" session]

　 Japan co-convened a session entitled "Adopting Integrated Flood Management within the Integrated Water Resources Management" with France and the Netherlands (See the program below for the date, participants and their titles). The integrated flood management aims to promote an approach that is cross-sectional and integrated to minimize negative impact caused by floods while maximizing positive impact by floods, including effective use of flood plains.

The session began with opening addresses by Mr. Seiji and Mr. Bertaud on behalf of the co-convening countries. After that, case studies from four countries (India, France, Japan, the Netherlands) were presented. A panel discussion, moderated by Mr. Tyagi, followed based on the presentations.

Mr. Terakawa made a presentation entitled "Integrated Flood Management for Urbanized River Basins in Japan," explaining lessons that Japan learned from experience as follows:

- It is important to take preventive measures in advance;
- Participation of stakeholders in planning is likely to result in reduction in cost and time for decision making;
- It is important to try to minimize disaster damage even if it is beyond the design level;
- It is important to predict and take preservation measures against impact on the hydrologic environment due to change in watershed land use.

He also pointed out, in the panel discussion, the necessity for the introduction of an approach integrating structural measures (dams, levees, flood control basins, etc.) and non-structural measures (flood forecasting and warning, flood hazard maps, risk-based land utilization guide) based on local needs.

"Adopting Integrated Flood Management
within the Integrated Water Resources Management"

March 18 11:15-13:15, in Room Diezmo2, Centro Banamex

PROGRAM

Opening remarks from convener
Mr. Masato Seiji : Vice-Minister for Engineering Affairs, MLIT, Japan
Mr. Pascal Bertaud : Water Director, MEDD, France

Presentation of local actions
Community Approach to Flood Management
Prof Kamta Prasad
(Institute for Resource Management and Economic Development, India)
Plan Loire Grandeur Nature
Mr. Regis Thepot (Etablissement Public Loire, France)
Tama and Tsurumi River Basin Water Master Plan
Mr. Akira Terakawa (Public Works Research Institute, Japan)
River widening project: Overdiepse Polder
Mr. Ben van den Reek (Province of North Brabant, the Netherlands)

Panel discussion
Moderator: Mr. Avinash Tyagi (Director, Hydrology and Water Resources Department, WMO)

Wrap-up and conclusion

[A session on the International Flood Initiative (IFI)]

Mr. Matsuura making an opening address (From left: Prof.
Takeuchi, Mr. Tyagi, Mr. Matsuura, Prof. Ginkel, Dr. Szollosi-Nagy)

ICHARM co-convened a session entitled "Collaborative Approach among International Agencies for Effective Flood Risk Management - International Flood Initiative (IFI)" with UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) (See the program below for the date, participants and their titles). After opening addresses by Mr. Matsuura, Mr. Jarraud on behalf of Mr. Tyagi, and Mr. Ginkel, Mr. Takeuchi of ICHARM reported on the official launch of ICHARM and explained its policies and activities.

Collaborative Approach among International Agencies for Effective Flood Risk Management
- International Flood Initiative (IFI)

Co-organized by PWRI, UNESCO, WMO
Place: Montejo 3　Date: 21 March 2006　Time: 16:45-18:45

PROGRAM

Moderator: Dr. Andras Szollosi-Nagy (UNESCO)

Opening Address
Mr. K. Matsuura, Director General, UNESCO
Mr. M. Jarraud, Secretary General, WMO
Prof. H. van Ginkel USG, Rector UNU
Prof. K. Takeuchi, Director of ICHARM, PWRI

Implementation of Hyogo Framework for Actions in the Area of Water-related disasters
Dr. S. Briceno (ISDR)
Importance of Multi-disciplinary Approaches in Integrated Flood Management
Mr. A. Tyagi (WMO)
Concept of the International Flood Initiative
Dr. K. N. N. Thein (UNESCO-IHP)
Tools for Consensus Building for Comprehensive Flood Loss Prevention Measures
Mr. K. Miyake (MLIT)
Human Security and Flood Risks
Prof. J. Bogardi (UNU)
Research Needs in Disaster Response Systems
Dr. A. Askew (IAHS)
Environmental and Ecological Aspects of Integrated Flood Management
Prof. N. Tamai (IAHR)
Capacity Building of Flood Hazard Mapping
Mr. S. Tanaka (ICHARM)

Open Discussions & Wrap Up