HyDEPP-SATREPS holds 4th Joint Coordination Committee Meeting (JCC)
July 14, 2023
The 4th Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) Meeting for the development of a Hybrid Water-Related Disaster Risk Assessment Technology for Sustainable Local Economic Development Policy under Climate Change in the Philippines (HyDEPP-SATREPS) project funded by JICA/JST was held last 22 June 2023 at Drilon Hall, SEARCA and via online conferencing. This meeting is part of the project’s monitoring and evaluation activity where both Philippines and Japanese researchers presented project progress, and relevant findings to project cooperating agencies. Additionally, this was an avenue to share updates regarding project structure and other efforts related to HyDEPP-SATREPS.
Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr., Project Director, and Ms. Saori Kojima, Project Officer from JICA Headquarters welcomed the participants. With the Philippines and Japan both being disaster-prone countries, Ms. Kojima highlighted that JICA headquarters will continue its collaborative effort in disaster risk management.
The Project Leader, Dr. Miho Ohara from the University of Tokyo, presented several changes in the project structure and officially introduced the new HyDEPP SATREPS Project Coordinator, Ms. Atsuko Himeno.
Dr. Roger A. Luyun, Jr. (UPLB) and Dr. Masaki Yasukawa (University of Tokyo) presented current undertakings for the Data Sharing Group, particularly on data collection and organization, necessary for the development of a big-data system in DIAS. Memorandum of understanding (MOU) between UPLB and partner government agencies in relation to data sharing was already in place.
Dr. Rubenito M. Lampayan (UPLB), Dr. Koki Homma (Tohoku University), and Dr. Mohamed Rasmy Abdul Wahid (ICHARM) gave updates on flood and drought risk assessment group research activities including the hybrid model development that estimates rice production under different climate and water allocation scenarios, as well as hydrological and crop model calibrations. Additionally, Dr. Kensuke Naito (ICHARM) and Dr. Kentaro Aida (ICHARM) outlined progress on the development and maintenance of the H-Q curve with numerical model and method development based on planting date using satellite data, respectively. Prof. Vicente Ballaran, Jr. (UPLB & ICHARM Graduate student) reported findings of his agricultural monitoring using satellite images while Dr. Tomoki Ushiyama (ICHARM) explained his climate change adaptation studies using climate models.
Meanwhile, reports on the risk assessment of water-related disasters were detailed by Dr. Miho Ohara and Dr. Patricia Ann J. Sanchez. The report highlights the recent findings from the flood and drought assessment on agricultural areas in Laguna before and in reference to Typhoon Ulysses and non-structural measures of communities and agricultural offices in relation to pre-, during, and post-disaster. Recent findings on the adaptation of selected areas in Candaba, Pampanga to inundation and community mapping activities in flood and disaster-prone areas were also presented.
Lastly, Dr. Maria Angeles O. Catelo and Dr. Tomohiro Tanaka gave updates on the recent activities conducted under the sustainable local economic development group. Results from recent surveys conducted on selected barangays in Laguna municipalities regarding the socio-economic impacts of floods and droughts on farmers and fisherfolks were also presented
Dr. Toshio Koike, Executive Director of ICHARM, encouraged the project management team to continue the partnership with stakeholders to achieve findings parallel to the objectives of the project.
The HyDEPP-SATREPS looks forward and hopes to strengthen its collaboration with various government agencies and units through the use of research outputs in disaster preparedness and risk reduction.