Hydroinformatics for Further Comprehensive Study on Environment inSouth-East Asia

*Taikan Oki1, Shinjiro Kanae1, 2(1: IIS, University of Tokyo, 2: Research Institute for Humanity and Nature)* Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan, 153-8505
E-mail: taikan@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Abstract
A comprehensible regional study, named GAME-Tropics (GAME-T) was held focusing on the water and energy cycles
in tropical monsoon Asia. Enhanced observation of atmosphere, field measurements of surface fluxes in typical land
scapes, data collections of routine observation, and numerical experiments were performed during 1996-2002. This
international project made success to establish a data center both in Japan and Thailand, prevailed interesting facts ofhydro-climatology in Indo-China Peninsula, and formed a research community in the region. GAME-T2 was plannedand started to further investigation considering how hydro-climatic studies can answer to the water resource
management in the region. GAME-T Phase1 covered mainly physical side of the hydrological cycles, and thecollaboration with more human dimension oriented projects such as START (System for Analysis, Research andTraining) will be one of the keys to success the GAME-T2 or following project.
Keyword: GAME Tropics, Hydroinformatics, Flood Forecasting, Water Resources Management

1. Background
The one of the motivations to establish the Asia
Pacific Association of Hydrology and Water Resources
should be the needs to attract more attention to thecharacteristics of hydrological conditions in the region
relevant to water resources management. Here,hydrological conditions consist such as geography,
climate, social system, and culture.
In this article, the characteristics of the region,
particularly in Thailand in the Indochina Peninsula, areintroduced from the experience of a research project,
named GAME-T. GAME-Tropics (GAME-T) wasinitiated officially as one of four regional studies underGAME (GEWEX Asian Monsoon Experiment) in 1996.
The objective of GAME-T was the quantitative
monitoringofvapor
flux,
precipitation,evapotranspiration, radiative flux, and their seasonal,intra-seasonal, and interannual variation in the south-east
Asia. In order to accomplish the objective, various fieldobservations and data collections were planned andimplemented.
There were intensive international interactions amongresearchers, officers, and collaborators within
GAME-Tropics, and motivations for the research onunderstanding the variation of the Asian Monsoon and its
social application, such as water resources management,
were stimulated. Consequently, observational network onhydrometeorlogy in tropical South-East Asia was wellorganized, various scientific achievements were fulfilled,
and new findings were prevailed under GAME-Tropics.
Publication list appeared in scientific journals can beseen athttp://hydro.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/GAME-T/publication.html

and the data was processed or under processing partly,
and all the data will be available at:
http://hydro.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/GAME-T/GAIN-T

where GAIN stands for GAME Archive Information
Network, and GAIN-T is one of the distributed archive
center of GAIN responsible for GAME-T related datasets.
Detailed description on the individual dataset should befound either in associated document with the data on theWeb or in scientific papers published by the principle
investigators of each observation.

2. Concept of the successing project
As introduced in other presentations in the conference,
there were many unique topics and issues to be tackledwith in the Asian Pacific region for both hydrologicalresearch and water resources management. International
collaboration and information sharing and exchange
should be promoted to deal with these topics and issues.
On the other hand, the most relevant fruit fromGAME/GAME-T could be the international researchcommunity organized under the project and firmly
formed through the collaborative field experiments, joint
data processing, and the exchange of various ideas at
frequent meetings, workshops, and symposia.
A lot of efforts will be required to build up such asmooth, constructive, and significant scientificcommunity again.
Therefore, GAME-T follow on, namely GAME-T2,
was planned and it is now undergoing. Scientificobjectives of GAME-T2 are similar to the original
project:(I) Promote hydrometeorological science in TropicalSouth-East Asia, and(II) Seek social application of the latest achievementsof academic research.
For the first objective (I),
1. numerical modelings,
2. satellite data assimilations aiming at spatial
scaling from a point to a certain area, and3. data sharing and communication
should be promoted.
The success of GAME-Tropics stimulates themotivation to continue the project, and recommendation
for further study under GAME-Tropics or successional
project was discussed and adopted in the 2002 workshop
on GAME-T and Hydrometeorological Studies inThailand and Southeast Asia, 29-31 October 2002,
ChiangRai, Thailand, and all the participants recognized
its direct and indirect contributions for solving thecurrent and future water related problems. One possible
target proposed was the investigation of the “ScientificBasis for a Hydro-meteorological Warning System” inshort, medium, and long ranges for flood and droughtmanagement with the basic understanding of the Asian
Monsoon System and the latest technology of monitoringand modeling.

3. Recommendations
At the 2002 Workshop on GAME-T andHydrometeorological Studies in Thailand and SoutheastAsia, 29-31 October 2002, held in ChiangRai, Thailand,
the recommendation for the future project on thehydrometeorological studies in SouthEast Asia wasdiscussed, and approved by all the participants. The
whole recommendation is quoted below.
Recognizing water as one of the keys to develop
sustainability in societies both in developed anddeveloping countries, its monitoring, modeling, andpredicting the variation of its quantity and quality are
critical and should be promoted for better
implementationofintegratedwater
resource
management With regard to that point of view, theactivities and research achievements of GAME-T(GEWEX Asian Monsoon Experiment in Tropics) werereviewed and discussed during the 2002 workshop on
GAME-T and Hydrometeorological Studies in Thailand
and Southeast Asia, 29-31 October 2002, ChiangRai,Thailand, and all the participants recognized its direct
and indirect contributions for solving the current andfuture water related problems. In order to promote such
critical research activities, all the participants would liketorecommendthat
relevant
agencies
tohydrometeorology and universities in participating
countries should report to the head of their respective
agencies the implementation of the GAME-T Phase II
during the period of 2002-2005 along the lines describedas follows:1.
The formulation of a new research group,
consisting of young scholars in each country, is requiredwith strong leadership under the supervision of theGAME-T advisory board in each country. Both the newgroup and the advisory board should hold the perspectiveof international collaboration among Thailand, Japan,and other participating countries in South East Asia.
2.
Further exchange and the sharing of data andinformation should be promoted. One of these activities
would be a publication of a textbook onhydro-climatology in South East Asia based on the fruits
from GAME-T Phase I. Strengthening the utilization ofthe existing mailing list over the Internet is also
encouraged. The GAME-T Data base servers both in
NRCT and IIS/UT should be used actively with
continuous input from field observation, data collection,etc. The data should also include human dimension
related information. The GAME-T workshop in Thailand,
which is held once a year, is giving opportunities for theexchange and sharing of data and experiences inhydrometeorology. Therefore the continuation of theworkshop is recommended.
3.
Capacity building in scientific research iscrucial. Researchers and young scientists in Thailand,

Japan, and participating countries should haveopportunities, such as being an exchange scholar or avisiting scientist, participating in the conferences,making presentations in workshops, and joining technicalvisits, etc.
4.
A series of appropriate research topics should
be formulated for narrowing down the scope of researchworks. One possible target could be the investigation of
the “Scientific Basis for a Hydro-meteorologicalWarning System” in short, medium, and long ranges forflood and drought management with the basic
understanding of the Asian Monsoon System and thelatest technology of monitoring and modeling. Research
focusing on human dimension aspects should also bewell regarded when implementing the project.

4. Summary
Under the development stage of the 10-year
implementation plan for establishing the Global Earth
Observation
SystemofSystems(GEOSS),
GAME-Tropics will be a good core to support the studies
on global environmental issues such as Disasters, Health,Energy, Climate, Water, Weather, Ecoystems, Agriculture
and Desertification, and Biodiversity in South-East Asia
through development of the integrated information
system on hydroinformatics. Current GAME-T covers
mainly physical side of the hydrological cycles, and thecollaboration with more human dimension orientedprojects such as START (System for Analysis, Researchand Training) will be one of the keys to success theGAME-T or following project.