Bangkok--11 Feb--Asian Institute of Technology
In the era of climate change, water management is a critical issue facing countries in Asia. Water engineers and scientists must apply their knowledge, collaborate, find agreement and network to solve numerous problems impacting millions, senior experts told an international workshop of young researchers at the Asian Institute of Technology on 8-9 February 2014.
The two-day event on “River Basin Environment and Management” was jointly organized by the International Research Centre for River Basin Environment (ICRE), University of Yamanashi, Japan; Brawijaya University, Indonesia; Centre of Research for Environment Energy and Water (CREEW), Nepal; and the Water Engineering and Management (WEM) Program, School of Engineering and Technology, AIT.
The workshop attracted thirty-four participants from Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Australia, China, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Twelve speakers presented studies conducted in countries in the region. Technical themes included Hydrological Modeling and Applications, and Water Resources and Climate. A number of recent PhD graduates from AIT returned to their Alma Mater to showcase their latest academic work.
Delivering the keynote address titled “Future Work for Development of Water Management in Asian Countries,” University of Yamanishi’s Prof. Futaba Kazama stressed that scientists’ collaboration with the academe, officialdom, nongovernmental organizations, and citizenry is essential to solving existing water-related problems across the continent.
Prof. Kazama explained the key outputs of a comprehensive study she conducted in Nepal titled “Hydro-microbial approach for water security in the Kathmandu valley”, which involves water security mapping and developing water treatment systems to inform a large-scale water management system for the country’s capital region.
“To correct the situation, a scientific eye is critical,” Prof. Kazama told workshop. But so too is finding agreement on the problems with governments and affected societies. The project highlighted the academic and societal roles necessary for tackling water management issues, she said.
Welcoming the participants on behalf of AIT President Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, Professor Sivanappan Kumar, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs, called the workshop a timely opportunity for talented young researchers from South and Southeast Asia to share knowledge and to network with senior regional experts on river basin management.
Interim Vice President for Resource Development Prof. Kazuo Yamamoto welcomed the international delegates and added his expert feedback to the presenters. Explaining the workshop objectives, Dr. Hiroshi Ishidaira of the University of Yamanashi spoke of the “remarkable progress” made after ten years of collaboration between the organizing partners, but added: “It’s time to expand our network for the future.”
AIT Professor Mukand S. Babel and Dr. Dian Sisinggih of Brawijaya University chaired technical presentations on Water Resources and Climate, while Dr. Ishidaira and Dr. Jun Magome of the University of Yamanashi chaired the second day sessions devoted to Hydrological Modeling and Applications.
On day one of the workshop, lead organizer Dr. Sangam Shrestha, Assistant Professor, WEM, delivered a lecture titled “Climate change impacts on water resources and water use sectors – studies from South and Southeast Asia.” The plenary speaker for the workshop’s second day was Dr. Anthony Kiem of The University of Newcastle, Australia.
Visiting Assoc. Prof. Akiyuki Kawasaki, Coordinator, Regional Network Office for Urban Safety (RNUS), WEM, also attended the workshop along with approximately fifteen current AIT students. Dr. Rabin Malla, CREEW, emceed the opening session on February 8.
Photo caption: Prof. Futaba Kazama