Regional Water Knowledge Hub for
Disaster Risk Reduction and Flood Management

ICHARM ’s Expertise

ICHARM was established in March 2006 under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Hosted by the Public Works Research Institute of Tsukuba, Japan, ICHARM is a center of excellence in the area of water-related disaster risk management. ICHARM’s mission is to provide localities, nations, regions, and the globe with the best practicable strategies for managing the risk of water-related disasters and help them implement those strategies to enhance professional capacity and promote local advancement, particularly in the case of developing countries.

ICHARM’s Services

ICHARM is focusing the initial phase of its mission on risk management of flood-related disasters, such as flash floods, continental floods, landslides, debris flows, storm surges, and tsunamis. ICHARM bases its operations on three pillars of activity: research, training, and information networking. ICHARM collaborates closely with organizations throughout the world to ensure that the solutions it proposes reflect local geographical and societal conditions. As the regional water knowledge hub for disaster risk reduction and flood management, ICHARM can assist central and local government agencies, local communities, and others by:

• Sharing up-to-date information on integrated fl ood risk management;
• Promoting research collaboration in the region;
• Conducting research activities on diverse subjects related to water-related disasters, such as satellite-based flood forecasting and early warning systems, hazard mapping for community preparedness, local studies to determine appropriate flood risk management measures, and flood risk assessment and adaptation strategies in preparation for possible global climate change;
• Educating trainees from around the region in flood hazard mapping, water-related risk management, and other subjects;
• Raising political and public awareness and encouraging actors to commit to reducing risk;
• Mobilizing an international research work force and organizing workshops, symposia, and conferences that promote communication and capacity building;
• Training clients from multifaceted social, economical,institutional, and cultural backgrounds in integrated risk management techniques, including avoidance, reduction,transference, and acceptance; and
• Maximizing and integrating advanced technology,indigenous knowledge, and other kinds of information to create eff ective disaster-reduction techniques tailored to local needs.

ICHARM’s Knowledge Partners

ICHARM acts as Secretariat of the International Flood Initiative (IFI), an international collaborative scheme among leading international organizations committed to promoting integrated flood management. These organizations include UNESCO; the World Meteorological Organization (WMO); the United Nations University (UNU); the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR); the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS); and the International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research (IAHR). ICHARM also acts as a partner in the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) and promotes cooperative activities with a number of related organizations and programs, such as:

• The world-wide network of UNESCO water centers
• Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR), People’s Republic of China
• Korea Institute of Construction Technology (KICT), Republic of Korea
• Mekong River Commission (MRC), Lao People’s Democratic Republic
• Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC)
• Asian Disaster Reduction Centre (ADRC)
• International Flood Network (IFNet)
• Network of Asian River Basin Organizations (NARBO)
• UNESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee (TC)
• University of California, Davis (UC Davis), United States
• U.S. Army Engineer Institute for Water Resources (IWR), United States
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), United States

Contact Information

Shigenobu Tanaka
Deputy Director
International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM)
Public Works Research Institute
1–6 Minamihara, Tsukuba, Japan

Telephone: +81 29 879 6806
Fax: +81 29 879 6709

Email:s_tanaka@pwri.go.jp
Website:http://www.icharm.pwri.go.jp