Visit by Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA)

On February 13 2026, a delegation of eight Indian officials from the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), led by Ms. Meenakshi Das Nath, the secretary of Revenue & Disaster Management and Additional CEO of ASDMA, visited the Public Works Research Institute (PWRI) to learn from Japan’s disaster risk reduction (DRR) practices. During their visit, the delegation toured the institute’s facilities and engaged in discussions with Japanese counterparts.

The visitors first toured the Hydraulic Experiment Laboratory, where ITAGAKI Osamu, the director of PWRI’s Hydraulic Engineering Research Group, explained the facility and provided a brief overview of a dam model experiment. They then returned to ICHARM for a series of presentations. Itagaki spoke about a recent geomorphological phenomenon in Japan often referred to as “the polarization of river channels” – a situation in which sandbars rise while the main flow path becomes excessively deep – in his presentation titled “Examples of Recent Technical Challenges in River Management in Japan.” Director for Special Research FURUMOTO Kazushi presented an overview of ICHARM’s activities, Senior Researcher USHIYAMA Tomoki discussed “Development of Ensemble Prediction System for Flood Early Warning in ICHARM,” and Senior Researcher MIYAMOTO Mamoru introduced “Interdisciplinary Approach for the Enhancement of Water-Related Disaster Resilience.”

Having surveyed the rivers in Assam State in July 2025, Itagaki engaged enthusiastically with the Assam officials during the Q&A session, taking local circumstances into account. The officials showed strong interest in methods for assessing climate change impacts, as well as capacity development approaches, mechanisms, and platforms for enhancing resilience.

This event served as an excellent opportunity for the delegation from Assam State to learn about the technologies and expertise that ICHARM and PWRI can offer. ICHARM will continue to share its activities and achievements through opportunities such as this to solve water-related issues worldwide.

Director Itagaki explaining a dam model experiment	Senior Researcher Ushiyama presenting on ensemble forecasting
Delegation members in front of ICHARM with ICHARM staff