ICHARM -- The International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management ICHARM

IFAS receives the 19th Infrastructure Technology Development Award 2017

On July 27, 2017, PWRI was awarded with the 19th Infrastructure Technology Development Award for the development of the Integrated Flood Analysis System (IFAS) at Tokyo International Forum in Tokyo, Japan.
ICHARM researchers participated in the awarding ceremony, and were presented with an award certificate by Professor Hideo Nakamura, the chair of the selection committee.
The award is established to recognize excellent technologies that have recently developed and put into practice in relation to housing and social infrastructure or land management including a wide range of categories such as planning and design, construction, maintenance and management, materials and products, machinery, electronics and communications, and applications of traditional techniques.

Award ceremony
At award ceremony

Awarded technology

Integrated Flood Analysis System (IFAS)
Developers: Morimasa Tsuda, Mamoru Miyamoto, Seishi Nabesaka (Japan Water Agency)

Outline of IFAS

Application of flood forecasting and analysis models to developing countries is often difficult for various reasons, including financial and technological constraints and lack of hydrological data (i.e., rainfall and river water level data).
To break through these limitations, ICHARM has developed IFAS jointly with the Infrastructure Development Institute-Japan (IDI) and nine other consulting firms as a concise flood-runoff analysis system for more effective and efficient flood forecasting in developing countries. After the initial joint activities, ICHARM has continued to improve its function and GUI system. IFAS is free software downloadable at the ICHARM website.
http://www.icharm.pwri.go.jp/research/ifas/index.html

The following are the main characteristics of IFAS:
  • IFAS has GIS and GUI (Graphical User Interface) functions that assist the user in creating hydrological models, performing parameterization and simulation, and displaying results, all of which usually require a good knowledge of hydrology and a large volume of data processing.
  • IFAS can easily import geographical and geological data for model creation and satellite-based rainfall information for simulation.

The development of IFAS started in 2005 as a joint research project with the Infrastructure Development Institute-Japan (IDI) and nine other consulting firms. After the joint research ended in 2007, ICHARM continued upgrading IFAS by adding extra functions to increase accuracy and user-friendliness and to accommodate local needs and conditions. In 2008, IFAS ver. 1.2 with basic GUI was released, followed by IFAS ver.1.3β with automated functions in 2011 and ver.2.0 with improved stability in 2014.

ICHARM has been promoting the use of IFAS in countries and regions without adequate hydrological observation systems. We provide IFAS training as part of JICA training courses, UNESCO projects and other programs. The latest version of IFAS equipped with user-friendly GUI is installed in flood forecasting systems established in some countries thorough UNESCO and ADB projects.

Functions of IFAS
Functions of IFAS

Use of IFAS in flood forecasting systems

  • Solo basin, Indonesia: ADB project, 2013
  • Indus basin, Pakistan: UNESCO Pakistan project, 2014
  • Cagayan basin, Philippines: ADB project, 2014
  • Kelantan basin, Malaysia: JICA-SATREPS, 2015
  • Ca basin, Viet Nam: JICA project, 2015

IFAS training

  • IFAS training by JICA (2012-) : about 80 participants
  • AHA center training (2013-2015): about 60 participants
  • UNESCO Pakistan project (2010-): about 25 participants
   More than 1,000 participants from over 50 countries have joined the training

Training for Pakistan officers
Training for Pakistan officers

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