Activity Report

17th Integrated Workshops of the Typhoon Committee

29-30 November 2022 (online)

ADRC participates annually in the Integrated Workshops (IWS) of the Typhoon Committee, where year-end reports are presented by the four working groups: the Working Group on Meteorology (WGM), the Working Group on Hydrology (WGH), the Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction (WGDRR), and the Training and Research Coordination Group (TRCG). This year, the Typhoon Committee Secretariat (TCS) held the 17th IWS online on 29-30 November 2022 with the theme "Tropical cyclone planning, forecasting, and response services for early warning and early action."

One of the keynote presentations was from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan, which talked about the "Use of Satellite Data for Flood Simulation and Risk Evaluation." As reported, various Japanese agencies (e.g., JAXA), with which ADRC also works closely, provide satellite data and create climate change impact projections to simulate floods and assess risk impacts. Satellite data is especially valuable as it informs mitigation measures and also facilitates early action. Other keynote presentations at the 17th IWS were given by presenters from Vietnam, China, South Korea, and the Asia-Pacific Typhoon Collaborative Research Centre.

The 18th IWS in 2023 will be hosted at ESCAP in Bangkok, Thailand.

(2022/12/07 15:00)

EPWG-Chile Workshop

28 November - 1 December 2022 (online)

Mr SUZUKI Koji (Project Director of ADRC and co-Chair of APEC-EPWG) and Dr Gerry Potutan (Senior Researcher, ADRC) participated in the "Workshop to Strengthen Fire Prevention Capacities in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI)" held 28 November - 1 December 2022. The online workshop was organized by EPWG-Chile to contribute to capacity building in the APEC economies. It focused on fire management in wildland-urban interface areas through the use of techniques and strategies focused on generating a culture of prevention that reduces territorial vulnerability and exposure to risk.

On the third day of the workshop, Dr Gerry Potutan gave a presentation highlighting the contribution of climate change impact projections to inform plans, strategies, and policies on climate change adaptation. While climate change does not directly cause wildfires, it greatly contributes to the creation of conditions that allow wildfires to start and spread easily, with extremely devastating impacts. One of the projected climate change scenarios indicates that global temperatures will become much warmer if human activities continue emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon and methane. This will create conditions for the "tinderbox effect," whereby summers become hotter and drier - making it possible for wildfires to more easily start and spread quickly. As a result of the workshop, the participants from the 21 APEC member economies and the government officials from Chile gained insights on applying climate change impact projections to the development of mitigation and adaption strategies for fire prevention in wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas.

(2022/12/07 15:00)

28th Session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum

15 - 18 November 2022 (Hanoi,Vietnam)

The 28th Session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-28) was held from 15 to 18 November 2022 in Hanoi, Vietnam. It was co-organized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST). APRSAF was established in 1993 to enhance space activities in the Asia-Pacific region. Attended by space agencies, governments, and international organizations such as the United Nations as well as companies, universities and research institutes, this forum is the largest space-related conference in the Asia Pacific region. APRSAF has four Working Groups: the (1) Space Applications Working Group (SAWG), (2) Space Technology Working Group (STWG), (3) Space Environment Utilization Working Group (SEUWG), and the (4) Space Education Working Group (SEWG). APRSAF participants share information about their activities and future plans for their countries and regions in each working group. APRSAF also supports international projects designed to find solutions to common issues such as disaster management and environmental protection.

ADRC participated in the working session of the SAWG and gave the first presentation on Sentinel Asia emergency observation requests (EOR) and future action plans. The Sentinel Asia initiative involves the use of space-based information in the form of satellite images for disaster management. ADRC has been tasked with the responsibility of receiving emergency observation requests from ADRC member countries and Joint Project Team (JPT) members. ADRC gave the second presentation on our activities for the "Demonstration Experiment using MICHIBIKI (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System: QZSS)." This activity, which mainly targets the Asia-Pacific region, is to develop early warnings to encourage residents to take prompt evacuation actions.

ADRC will continue to actively participate in activities related to the utilization of space technology in the field of disaster prevention.

(2022/11/22 15:00)

The JICA Knowledge Co-Creation Program "Comprehensive Disaster Risk Reduction for Central Asia and Caucasus"

10 November - 9 December 2022 (kobe,japan)

ADRC conducted a JICA Knowledge Co-Creation Program entitled "Comprehensive Disaster Management in Central Asia and Caucasus" from 10 November to 9 December 2022. This program was designed for disaster management administrators in the Central Asia and Caucasus region, with the aim of strengthening the capacity of government agencies primarily responsible for disaster management so as to mitigate human impacts and economic damages caused by natural disasters. With a particular focus on the formulation of priority DRR measures, the program aims to deepen understanding of the importance of such measures, to promote strategic DRR investments in each country, and to promote the implementation of DRR measures that reduce residual risks. Finally, it aims to help participants learn how to draft and implement local DRR plans.

Due to the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, the training program was temporarily suspended and subsequently conducted online, but in-person trainings resumed this year for the first time in three years. A total of seven participants from Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan took part in the five-week program.

The training consisted of in-person and online lectures, visits to DRR facilities mainly in Hyogo Prefecture but also in the Tokyo area, and a workshop on designing local DRR plans. Each participant enthusiastically participated in the lectures and exercises, and presented a draft local DRR plan on the final day to successfully complete the course. It is hoped that the knowledge, skills, and methodologies acquired through this training will be applied to disaster risk management in the participants' home countries.

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all the supporting organizations and lecturers for their cooperation in conducting this training course.

(2022/12/16 15:00)

Visitors through the Try-Yaru Week Work Experience Program

8-10 November 2022 (Kobe,Japan)

ADRC hosted two seventh-grade students from 8 to 10 November 2022 as part of the Try-Yaru Week program (work experience for junior high school students in Hyogo Prefecture) organized by Kobe Municipal Harada Junior High School.

During this period, these students not only learned about earthquake resistance, and crafted a model of an earthquake-resistant building out of milk cartons, but also participated in online town watching in the Aotani area of Nada Ward, Kobe City. They also visited the Hyogo Prefectural Emergency Management and Training Center. Students indicated that they "learned a great deal about disasters as they experienced the various activities" and that "the shaking we experienced in the earthquake simulation vehicle was more than I had imagined." The students also commented that they had a fulfilling work experience.

ADRC will continue its efforts to develop human resources for disaster risk reduction in Japan and its member countries.

(2022/11/15 15:00)

« Oct. 2022 | Main Page | Dec. 2022 »