Top > Foreign Policy > Environment > Johannesburg Summit 2002 The World Summit on Sustainable Development > Type 2 Project > International Flood Network (IFNet)

International Flood Network (IFNet)

Expected date of initiation: Mar. 2003
Expected date of completion: Mar. 2006 (first phase)

Partners Involved (Tentative):

Governments:
Countries concerned with flood
(Japan (River Bureau), The Netherlands, Asian Developing Countries)

Intergovernmental organizations:
Intergovernmental organizations concerned with flood
(WMO, Asian Development Bank, Mekong River Commission)

Major groups:
Major groups concerned with flood
(Kyoto University, DHI, Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad)

Other:
NGOs and private sectors concerned with flood
(Netherlands Water Partnership, World Water Council,)

Leading Partner:
Name of the contact person/focal point: Mr. Toshihiro Sonoda, Deputy Directorof River Planning Division, River Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Japan
Address: 2-1-3, Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8918, Japan
Phone: +81-3-5253-8111
Fax: +81-3-5253-1602
E-mail: sonoda-t2mp@mlit.go.jp

Main objectives of the Partnership/Initiative

The main objectives of the IFNet include:

  • To facilitate international cooperation in flood management so as to reduce the loss of life and damage caused by floods.
  • To promote policies and practices which can break the vicious circle of poverty and environmental degradation and lead to a safe and sustainable future.

The relationship of the Partnership/Initiative with the objectives of Agenda 21

  • In the chapter 18 , "Protection of the Quality and Supply of Freshwater Resources : Application of Integrated Approaches to the Development, Management and Use of Water Resources", there proposed the programme A, "Integrated water resources development and management".
  • In the programme A, it is specified that all states, according to their capacity and available resources, and through bilateral or multilateral cooperation, including the United Nations and other relevant organizations as appropriate, could implement the flood management, including risk analysis and environmental and social impact assessment, to improve integrated water resources management.

Expected results:

IFNet will promote the following activities:

  • The exchange of information, experience, technical knowledge and future plans among international organizations, national governments, the private sector and non-governmental organizations with the aim of enhancing co-operativeconcrete action;
  • Raising public awareness of floods by compiling and disseminating information and views on such aspects as health, ecology, food production, culture, education, gender, land-use and socio-economic development; taking an inter-disciplinary approach;
  • Establishing floods high on the international agenda.

Specific targets of the Partnership/Initiative and timeframe for their achievement:

For the establishment of IFNet, preparatory meetings are/will be held:

  • May 2002: 1st preparatory meeting
  • Nov. 2002: 2nd preparatory meeting
  • Mar. 2003: WWF3 (establishment of IFNet)

After the establishment of IFNet (Mar. 2003), follow-up meetings and annual international conferences will be held, and newsletters will be published regularly (to be confirmed). By these means, flood related information, experiences, technical knowledge and future plans will be shared among partners involved in IFNet. As a result,public awareness of floods will be raised, floods will be established high onthe international agenda, and partners involved in IFNet will be able to reach better solutions for their own flood problems.

Coordination and Implementation mechanism

  • The secretariat will produce periodic newsletters and reports on flood-related activities and commitments.
  • The secretariat will hold the annual international conference on flood.

Arrangements for funding

Now under adjustment.

Arrangements for capacity building and technology transfer

Capacity building and technology transfer is important for flood disaster mitigation. The impact of the losses in developing countries can set back the local and national economy by threatening sustainable development and further tightening the viciouscircle of poverty.
There must be a shift of emphasis from reactive action to proactive action for flood disaster mitigation. Flooding is often a very local problem that can benefit from natural and international assistance if this can be mobilized. IFNet would facilitate the identification and solution for these problems, without imposing on the rights of the local and national authorities concerned.

Links of Partnership/Initiative with on-going sustainable development activities at the international and/or regional level (if any)

  • Integrated flood management (WMO, Global Water Partnership)
  • Poverty and floods (Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

Monitoring Arrangements

  • The secretariat will produce periodic newsletters and reports on flood-related activities and commitments.
  • The secretariat will hold the annual international conference on flood.

Other relevant information:

Name and contact information of the person filling in this table:

Name: Mr. Ryosuke Kikuchi
Position: Director of Water in Rivers Secretariat
Address: New Kojimachi Bldg. 5-3-23, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Phone: +81-3-3263-7986
Fax: +81-3-3230-4030
E-mail: 2bu01@idi.or.jp

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