As global demand for water and energy continues to rise, and the impacts of floods and droughts grow increasingly severe, dams are poised to play an ever more critical role in supporting sustainable development and climate resilience. To ensure that dams can effectively fulfill this role, it is essential to establish for dam safety management, underpinned by clear standards and best practices.

This session marks the launch of the new report, “Dam Safety Management in Japan,” developed with the support of the Government of Japan and leading Japanese dam-related organizations. The report aims to share Japan’s legal and regulatory frameworks, good practices, and key lessons learned in dam safety with practitioners and government officials worldwide who are working to establish or strengthen their own dam safety assurance systems. By studying and reflecting on Japan’s experience, stakeholders can draw valuable insights to inform and adapt dam safety approaches within their national contexts.

This study builds on the foundation of fifty-one country case studies compiled by the World Bank’s global comparative analysis of regulatory frameworks for the safety of dams and downstream communities, further enriching the global knowledge base on effective dam safety management.

AGENDA

Opening Remarks

• Saroj Kumar Jha (online)
  Global Director for Water, World Bank 
• Mayumi Moteki
  Deputy Director, Multilateral Development Banks Division, International Bureau, Ministry of Finance, Japan 

World Bank’s Initiatives on Dam Safety Enhancement and Key Takeaways on the Japanese Experience on Dams Development and Management

• Satoru Ueda　
  Lead Dam Specialist, World Bank 
• Kimberly Lyon
  Senior Water Resources Management Specialist , World Bank

Intensified Floods under Climate Change Impact and Introduction of Advanced Flood Forecasting & Integrated Reservoirs Operation in Japan

• Toshio Koike
  Executive Director, International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management under the auspices of UNESCO, Public Works Research Institute, and Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo

Safety, Resilience, and Sustainability Enhancement of Dams in Japan

• Tetsuya Sumi
  Disaster Prevention Research Institute Program-Specific Professor, Kyoto University, and Vice President, International Commission on Large Dams

Panel Discussion

• Toshio Koike, Tetsuya Sumi, Satoru Ueda
• Chabungbam Rajagopal Singh (online)
  Senior Water Resources Management Specialist, World Bank

Summary Comments

• Shin Nemoto　
  Director, International Affairs Office, River Planning Division, Water & Disaster Management Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,Transport & Tourism, Japan 

Closing Remarks

• Satoru Ueda

Moderator:

• Hisashi Mitsuhashi　
  Senior Water Resources Specialist, World Bank