UNESCO - Signing at UNESCO paves way for International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management in Japan

Signing at UNESCO paves way for International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM) in Japan

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Audiovisual Contact:	Ariane Bailey, Photo Unit, tel. +33 (0)1 45 68 16 86 - Email

02-03-2006 3:00 pm Two agreements paving the way for the launch of an International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM)* will be signed on 3 March at UNESCO Headquarters (7th Floor, 11.30 a.m.). The agreements - with the government of Japan and Japan’s Public Works Research Institute (PWRI) - will be signed by the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, the Permanent Delegate of Japan to UNESCO, Ambassador Teiichi Sato and the Chief Executive of PWRI, Tadahiko Sakamoto. Between 2000 and 2004, 1,942 water-related disasters killed 427,045 people and affected more than 1.5 billion lives, according to the forthcoming UN World Water Development Report, which will be presented to the media in Mexico on 9 March. Hosted by PWRI at Tsukuba in Japan, the Centre will focus on research, training and information networking in the field of water hazard and risk management. It will also provide assistance to researchers and professionals from developing countries. Research teams at ICHARM will focus on both risk management and hydrological engineering.

Created under the auspices of UNESCO, ICHARM will be launched on 6 March. It represents a significant contribution by Japan to strengthen the network of 12 centres under the auspices of UNESCO dedicated to water-related issues. Preventing and managing water-related disasters has become all the more necessary in view of the fact that they account for 90 percent of all natural disasters and that their number is increasing. Recent water-related disasters have included the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, hurricanes, such as Katrina in 2005, and the landslide that hit the Philippines in February.

ICHARM will contribute to UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme, in particular to the International Flood Initiative (IFI), which is led by the Organization along with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and to the UN-wide World Water Assessment Programme.

* Internet Site

Source	Media Advisory N°2006-12
Author(s)	UNESCOPRESS