Based on the following 5 cores research categories, ICHARM will accumulate a broad range of knowledge and produce high-quality research outcomes to make practical policy recommendations and solve problems in the field of water disaster reduction, including methods for observing, forecasting and analyzing water related disaster hazards and methods for assessing, analyzing and monitoring exposure and vulnerability.
It is often difficult for developing countries to formulate effective disaster management plans suitable for the characteristics of water-related disasters and local-specific natural and social conditions. This can be attributed to insufficient systems to collect, store, share and statistically process data on disaster damage and hydrological and meteorological events. Recognizing these shortcomings as the most fundamental bottlenecks to promoting disaster risk reduction, ICHARM will implement research on data management technology for water-related disasters as one of its major research themes. In addition, understanding the importance of a cross-sectoral approach in the public sector and active participation of the private sector, ICHARM will integrate interdisciplinary scientific knowledge to consolidate a consilience for water disaster reduction.
In particular, ICHARM conducts research on technologies to collect and store data and information regarding hazards, exposure and vulnerability and share them among stakeholders while developing and implementing technologies to collect damage data that can be operated at national and local levels. ICHARM will also develop a method for combining local data with satellite observations and numerical model outputs to provide wide-area information in order to encourage nations and regions to store and share information and data. We will provide technical assistance for affected nations to compile highly reliable disaster statistics, to which stakeholders can have access in real time. Moreover, ICHARM will assemble intelligence infrastructure using digital twin technology to integrate and share policies and other information on areas closely related to water disasters, such as urban planning, agriculture, energy, natural environment, and infection control.
ICHARM will continue its contribution to research on data collection, storage, sharing, statistics, and visualization as the most fundamental infrastructure to enhance disaster risk reduction
ICHARM has been developing hazard assessment methods separately, such as the Integrated Flood Analysis System (IFAS), the Water-Energy-Budget Rainfall-Runoff-Inundation model (WEB-RRI), a sediment-driftwood-inundation analysis system, and the Couple Land and Vegetation Data Assimilation System (CLVDAS), and vulnerability assessment methods, such as an economic damage analysis system. However, for all basin stakeholders to understand risks and share information, it is essential to conduct integrated assessments of hazards, exposure and vulnerability and interlink the outcomes with those of impact assessments in such areas as urban planning, agriculture, energy, and natural environment conservation.
ICHARM will develop and verify a method to combine water-related disaster assessment models with other models. We will also develop an index that can holistically indicate the basinwide impact of water hazards. Case studies on the risk assessment of water-related disasters will be conducted at multiple locations both in and outside Japan while taking local conditions into account. Necessary assistance will be provided for local communities to perform risk assessments based on their needs and circumstances using the findings of the case studies, thereby achieving disaster risk reduction. Additionally, since monitoring methods for the global targets listed in the Sendai Framework have not been established, ICHARM will contribute to developing a globally applicable methodology by conducting case studies and comparing their results.
ICHARM will continue creating relevant information and providing support for better communication and understanding of water-related risks.
Water-related disaster risks change over time as hazards become intense due to climate change and vulnerability increases due to urbanization and infectious diseases spreading worldwide. When risks increase, prevention measures designed based on present risk information may not be effective for future disasters. Furthermore, if the effect of prevention measures to be taken for increased risks is not projected properly, the economic efficiency of disaster-related investment might be underestimated. To avoid such misperceptions, ICHARM will continue research on forecasting future risks while additionally considering their changes observed until the present.
We will develop, verify, and improve methods for monitoring and forecasting changes in hazards due to meteorologic conditions with different temporal scales ranging from season to climate change and changes in exposure and vulnerability due to social development and economic changes. Case studies will be conducted using these methods to support local communities in selecting appropriate methods according to their needs and conditions to mitigate future risks by themselves. The methods will be modified with various local adjustments and compared with each other for further improvement to eventually become globally applicable
ICHARM will continue its contribution to effective policymaking for disaster risk reduction as water-related risks are projected to increase.
Irrationally low priority on investment in disaster risk reduction causes many disasters and disturbs sustainable economic activities in developing countries. Japan, promoting “River Basin Disaster Resilience and Sustainability by All” as its new flood control policy, is seeking a method to explain the relationship between disaster-related investment and regional management. This needs an interdisciplinary approach and collaboration between the public and private sectors, and facilitating these efforts requires illustrating the effectiveness and efficiency of disaster-related investment. To this end, ICHARM will conduct research by proposing and evaluating policies aiming to reduce water-related disaster risks while considering local needs and conditions.
The research will seek to increase stakeholders’ understanding of the significance of disaster risk reduction policies to support sustainable development under climate change. It will also analyze concrete policies in terms of suitability to the target, aiming to assist each nation in proposing new policies independently while considering local lifestyles, socio-economic activities, and future risk changes. ICHARM will also develop models to evaluate each policy’s outcomes and socioeconomic assessment methods applicable to different nations, as well as provide training for strengthening human resources to lead local consensus building and political decision making.
ICHARM will continue supporting local and national governments and funding agencies in active decision making on investment in disaster risk reduction.
Although some cases have reported that disaster reduction measures were highly effective, other cases have reported unfortunate incidents in which malfunctioning crisis communication caused fatal delays in evacuation.
The need has also been pointed out for building a flood-conscious society, in which communities prepare appropriate rescue and recovery schemes even during unexpectedly large-scale disasters and a build-back-better framework based on a long-term regional management plan. This needs technical support to increase the awareness of local governments and residents about disaster prevention and mitigation and for them to create systems to take necessary actions. With a wide understanding of local conventions and human behavior in emergencies, ICHARM will develop, verify, and help local governments and residents plan and implement a wide range of disaster management measures with a good consensus among relevant stakeholders so that measures will maximize their effects during disasters.
Such measures will aim to support the effective sharing of information provided from early warning systems and other sources among administrators and residents to facilitate coordinated disaster responses among different sectors. They will also aim to help them with operation continuity planning based on local needs and conditions and interoperability improvement for better collaboration among various administrative functions.
ICHARM will support citizens and local governments in increasing disaster awareness and improving their water-related disaster management capabilities.