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ater

ducation

and

nstitutional

evelopment

ered. Many cooperation activities for water-related

disaster risk reduction are implemented through

international programmes such as UN Water and the

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization International Hydrological Programme,

of which the eighth phase (2014-2021) will deal with

water security issues.

Academic contributions

Interdisciplinary approaches at university (gradu-

ate school) level include the Global COE Program

for ‘Sustainability/Survivability Science for a Resilient

Society Adaptable to Extreme Weather Conditions’

(GCOE-ARS), implemented by the Disaster Prevention

Research Institute (DPRI) at Kyoto University, Japan.

This programme focuses on how human beings and

human society could adapt to global-scale changes

including climate change that incur extreme weather

and changes in the Earth’s water cycle, population

increase, urbanization, land use change, rural develop-

ment, desertification and so on. It especially emphasizes

scientific explanation and the prediction of weather and

hydrological disasters as well as social adaptation to

these events.

In Asia, as stated above, located in a humid climate

and tectonic zone, overpopulation and land develop-

ment are escalating. Africa has arid and semi-arid

regions as well as tropical rainforests. The environ-

mental conditions in these areas are more severe than

elsewhere in the world in terms of social and natural

aspects, and thus especially sensitive and vulnerable to

extreme weather. The people’s living and economy in

these areas provide implications for the survivability

of humans on Earth, while at the same time requir-

ing adaptation strategies to cope with more difficult

conditions expected in the future. GCOE-ARS pursues

sustainability science for survivability of humankind

and fosters world-leading experts by developing practi-

cal research in these areas in the world.

Another similar programme is ‘Inter-Graduate

School Program for Sustainable Development and

Survival Societies’ (Global Survivability Studies (GSS)

Programme), which was launched in 2011 to form a

strong interdisciplinary graduate school educational

system. This programme deals with four major areas:

• catastrophic natural hazards and disasters

• man-made accidents and disasters

• regional environment change and degradation

• food security.

These challenges of academic research and education,

led by DPRI, are intended to involve cooperation on

water-related disaster risk reduction with many over-

seas or international institutions and organizations,

as well as with local communities around the world.

We believe that this transdisciplinary approach can be

strongly connected to policy or real-world issues and

contribute to disaster risk reduction for sustainable

development of our Earth system.

Water cooperation and disaster risk reduction

Many kinds of cooperation activities have been implemented

in terms of water. Japanese official development assistance has

been contributing to developing countries by constructing water

resources systems, flood control facilities and other infrastructures,

such as dams, channels, water supply and irrigation systems in coop-

eration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

These structural measures have prevented or mitigated water-related

disasters and their risk.

In addition to these, another type of contribution includes emer-

gency management. After the Great Earthquake and Tsunami

disasters in east Japan, including Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima

prefectures, there was land subsidence in a number of low-lying

areas where water inundation in residential districts, as well as

in agricultural lands, was a serious problem. The pumping cars,

which were prepared by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,

Transport and Tourism of Japan (MLIT), played a significant role

in the drainage of inundated water. The pumping cars were also

dispatched to the Chao Phraya River in order to drain floodwa-

ter in Bangkok and surrounding areas. This was a notable water

cooperation activity made by MLIT and JICA. Other water cooper-

ation examples can be seen in activities by the Japan Water Forum

(JWF), which carries out water supply and sanitation activities

at the grass-roots level through assistance to non-governmental

organizations and collaboration with local partners in develop-

ing countries. The JWF Fund awards grants of up to US$1,000 to

approximately 15 grass-roots organizations in developing coun-

tries every year, to support their activities and projects to improve

access to water and sanitation.

It is also important to bear in mind that risk communication

measures are useful in raising public awareness and preparedness

for coping with floods and droughts as well as waterborne disas-

ters including epidemiological infectious diseases such as malaria,

which are triggered by environmental or climatic drivers. Literacy,

communication skills and gender issues must be seriously consid-

Women collect water from surface sources in the coastal Satkhira district of

Bangladesh, where water bodies are mostly saline

Image: Dr Rajib Shaw, GSS Programme, Kyoto University