Workshop Report on Capacity Development for Integrated Flood Risk
Management in Pakistan

Pakistani workshop participants (front row) with the organizers
from PWRI and ICHARM
During 15-24 May 2012, ICHARM conducted a workshop, “Capacity Development for
Integrated Flood Risk Management in Pakistan,” specifically designed to middle to highranking officials of the Pakistani government.

The workshop was organized as part of a project, “Strategic Strengthening of Flood
Warning and Management Capacity of Pakistan,” which was launched in response tothe mega flood that hit Pakistan in 2010. The project was funded by the Japanese
government through UNESCO.
Six officials from Pakistan participated in the workshop. They were the chairman of theIndus River System Authority, the director general of the Irrigation and Power
Department-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (a northern province of Pakistan), the deputy chief
manager of the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, the chief
meteorologist of the Pakistan Metrological Department, the director of operations/relief
andcoordinationoftheProvincial

DisasterManagement

Authority-Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa, and a board member of the National Disaster Management Authority.
The workshop consisted of lectures and field studies. In the series of lectures, theparticipants learned about flood control measures in Japan including dam operation,
know-how for collecting and disseminating meteorological and flood information, andlocal disaster management planning. They also learned about the latest technologies

related to flood control, such as IFAS and RRI developed by ICHARM. JAXA
researchers were also invited to lecture about GSMaP.
The participants visited several places to study Japan’s flood control measurescurrently in operation. Their destinations included: the Tsurumigawa River basin (for aretarding basin, a regulating pond, and a regulating reservoir), which is a forerunner ofintegrated flood control projects; the Watarase Retarding Basin, whose purposes
additionally include water quality improvement and environmental conservation; theKawaji and Ikari Dams for their joint project to promote more efficient water use; anAshio Sabo site for their active forestation program; and the Tone Large-Scale Weir,
which plays a vital role in municipal water supplies and irrigation around the middle
stream of the Tonegawa River. They also visited Kuki City, Saitama Prefecture, toobserve the 61st Tonegawa River System Joint Flood Fighting Drill on May 19, andwere very impressed with the scale and organization of the event.

Overflow levee in the Tsurumigawa

Ashio Sabo Dam

River Retarding Basin

Connecting tunnel between theIkari and Kawaji Dams

Tone Large-Scale Weir

On May 22, the Pakistani officials visited the Hanyu City Murakimi Elementary School,
which is actively promoting English education. Students gave them a warm welcome,and the officials even had lunch with them. They then went to the Hanyu City Office,where they were greeted with applause by workers there. Mayor Komei Kawata also
welcomed the Pakistani group with warm words and explained about municipal efforts
in disaster management.

Murakimi Elementary School

Mayor of the Hanyu CityHanyu City Office

MLIT Water and Disaster ManagementBureau

On May 23, the officials paid courtesy visits to ministerial offices including the Water
and Disaster Management Bureau of MLIT, the International Cooperation Bureau ofMOFA, and the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO of MEXT. At each office,they were welcomed by the bureau chief and had a great opportunity to exchange
opinions and ideas with bureau officials.
On the final day of the workshop, the participants were awarded a certificate of theworkshop by ICHARM Director Kuniyoshi Takeuchi, which closed the workshop
successfully.

A participant (left) receives a workshop
certificate from ICHARM Director.
The Pakistani participants praised the workshop for its excellent contents andorganization. They also said that what they learned in the workshop will be a goodfoundation for planning Pakistan’s future direction and measures in flood management.
Some of the field studies were joined by the students of the ICHARM master program,“Disaster Management Policy Program Water-related Disaster Management Course.”
This was a great opportunity for six Pakistani students enrolled in this program todiscuss various issues with high-ranking officials of their home country.
Finally, the workshop organizers would like to thank lecturers and offices for their
excellent contribution to this workshop. Our gratitude extends to the Hanyu City Office,the MLIT Keihin River Office, the Tonegawa Joryu River Office, the Kinugawa Dam
Integrated Management Office, Ikari Dam Management Branch Office, Kawaji Dam
Management Branch Office, Watarase River Office, General Office for Tonegawa Water
Transmission of the Japan Water Agency, and the Japan Meteorological Agency.