Technical Training in Japan – Strengthening Flood Forecasting in ASEAN Member States through Regional Trainings and Coordination

Under the support of supplementary budget from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, WMO is jointly implementing the flood forecasting capacity enhancement project for ASEAN countries named "Strengthening Flood Forecasting in ASEAN Member States through Regional Trainings and Coordination", in collaboration with the International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM) of the Public Works Research Institute (PWRI).

This project aims to enhance technical capabilities in flood forecasting and strengthen collaboration among related organizations, by inviting practitioners from meteorological, hydrological, and disaster prevention agencies across ASEAN countries. In particular, the project focuses on training on flood prediction and inundation analysis using the Rainfall-Runoff-Inundation (RRI) model developed by ICHARM, aiming to strengthen an end-to-end early warning system that utilizes satellite observation data, flood prediction information for disaster response, and coordination and governance among related organizations. Therefore, the project will enhance the capacity of ASEAN member states to design, develop, and operate effective flood early warning systems, thereby reducing the risk of flooding in a changing climate.

Over a two-week period, approximately 27 people from the meteorological services, hydrological or river/water management services, and the national disaster management agencies of nine ASEAN member countries will be invited to Japan to undergo a training conducted in the ICHARM premises. This workshop is intended to strengthen inter-sectoral cooperation to mitigate flood risks in ASEAN Member States, through technical training on flood risk reduction in light of climate change.    

The training includes:
1)   climate change impact assessments of extreme rainfall;
2)   hydrological modeling and flood risk mapping; and
3)   risk communication and enhanced multi-stakeholder coordination.

The programme combines introductory lectures, thematic group work, country-based collaborative work, field visits and country presentations.

• Meteorological experts will focus on climate-change impacts on extreme rainfall; hydrologists on hydrological/flood modelling; and disaster risk management experts on hazard mapping, visualization and risk communication. Country teams will then integrate these streams to assess present and future flood risk and develop mitigation plans covering early warning, river planning, evacuation and business continuity.
• In addition to mastering the flood prediction models themselves, emphasis is put on deepening the understanding of how the meteorological observation and forecast information used as input is created, provided to relevant organizations, and contributes to disaster prevention responses. Therefore, as part of the training, a visit to the Japan Meteorological Agency will provide an opportunity to explain the agency's observation and forecasting work related to flood forecasting, including the actual operational flow. The field visit is intended to provide participants with first-hand exposure to relevant Japanese experiences, practices and institutions in relation to effective flood risk management.