JICA Training Program:
Capacity Development for Flood Risk Management with IFAS
International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management under the auspices of UNESCO (ICHARM),
Public Works Research InstituteJapan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

1.

BackgroundNumber of disasters

Water-related disasters, such as floods, have been600

on an upward trend throughout the world.
500

Particularly in developing countries, it is urgent tolarge-scale

damageinmanycases.

The

implementation of structural measures, such as

Natural Disaster

400

災害数

take measures for flood disasters, which cause

Natural Total
自然災害
Water Total（うち）水関連災害

Water-related Disaster

300

200

levees, flood control basins and dams, is usually100

the first to come to people’s minds; however, thatof

non-structural

measuressuchasflood

forecasting and warning systems and flood hazard
maps

is

equallyimportant,provided

that

0
1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

Figure 1 Trend of natural disaster and water-related

developing countries often lack financial anddisasters (1900-2010)human resources. In addition, to use the results offlood forecasting effectively, efficient collaboration among meteorologists, river administrators and disastermanagement personnel who are in charge of evacuation by local residents is indispensable. In developingcountries, this is also at issue, as those three bodies of responsible personnel are unfortunately not necessarily
communicating well with one another.

2.

Objectives and characteristics

2.1

Objectives

This training program was designed to provide opportunity for meteorologists, river administrators anddisaster management officers in flood-vulnerable developing countries to learn the use of the Integrated Flood
Analysis System (IFAS)*1. The other important purposes are to learn about disaster management andevacuation plans and flood response cases in Japan, and to develop an action plan for local flood managementof flood-vulnerable areas in the participants’ countries. These training activities aim to enhance individual
flood-coping capacities and eventually to contribute to flood damage mitigation in the countries.
*1: The Integrated Flood Analysis System (IFAS) has been developed by ICHARM in a joint effort with private consultant firms to forecast
river discharges and water levels by using automatically collected satellite data such as geographical, land-use and rainfall data as input.
Currently, IFAS ver.1.3β is available free of charge at the ICHARM homepage.

12.2

Characteristics

The training program started from FY2012 year and will be provided for the next two years. To create as
great synergy as possible with JICA’s current and future local flood projects, the following conditions areconsidered:The target basins are those also selected for the JICA local projects.

The target participants are to be selected from three categories of responsible personnel (meteorologists,river administrators, disaster management officers) who are currently working at organizations
involved in the JICA local projects.

These conditions are considered for the following effects:○ The participants will have clear visions of what they should do after the training in their countries, andthus be able to develop a detailed action plan.
○ Organizations sharing the same basin as their project target can increase collaboration among them.
These effects are also expected to increase the effectiveness of the training at ICHARM.

The figure below shows the outline of the training program. The program consists of four components:
lectures, practices, study visits, and presentations and discussions.
Disastermanagement &evacuation plans inJapan(lectures)

Operation of IFAS
(practices)

Case studies offlood management(study visits)

Flood countermeasures& evacuation plans inparticipants’ countries(presentations &discussions)

Developing local flood management plans (action plans) for
flood-vulnerable area in individual countries

Contributing to JICA flood management projects in individual countries

Outline of the “Capacity Development for Flood Risk Managementwith IFAS” training program2

3. Outline
Title:Capacity Development for Flood Risk Management with Integrated Flood Analysis System (IFAS)
Implementing organization:
ICHARM, JICA

Total Duration:
FY2012 to FY 2014

Schedule:
From 10th July to August 7th, 2012

Overall Goal:
Flood damage is mitigated by the strengthened coping capacity of local level organizations for disastermanagement in each participating countryProgram Objective:
Coping capacity for flood damage mitigation including appropriate flood forecasting and early
evacuation of residents is strengthened in each participating country.

Target Regions or Countries:
Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, Philippines, and Thailand

Participant:
13 (Max.3 from each country)

Combination of national/ local governmental organizations responsible for flood forecasting, early
warning system, flood risk management and evacuation of residentsLanguage:
English

Venue:ICHARM (Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture)

Lecturer:
Researchers and practitioners who have practical experiences on planning and implementation forwater-related disaster mitigation (Mainly ICHARM researchers, MLIT practitioners)

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