Preparatory documents for the Workshop

• Workshop flyer
• Workshop first announcement
• Workshop second announcement

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Summary of the Workshop

Road disaster management using the latest information technologies were discussed with world case studies on disaster management during the one-day hybrid event. 

The workshop was held in English and Japanese with simultaneous interpretation between the two languages. Participation was open to all those with public positions or private companies working in the execution, design and supervision of road works, as well as students and researchers interested in deepening their knowledge of the workshop’s subject matter. 

• Welcome remark:Mr. Shigeru KIKUKAWA, President, Japan Road Association (PIARC JAPAN)

• Welcome remark: Mr. Kei SENOO, Technical advisor, World Road Association (PIARC)

• Welcome remark: Mr. Katsuji HASHIBA, Vice president, Regional engineering association of Asia and Australasia (REAAA)

• Opening remark: Dr. Yukio Adachi, Chair, PIARC TC1.5 "Disaster Management"

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• Disaster Management for a heavy snowfall on Expressway - Record-breaking snowfall and Extensive vehicles stuck on Kan-etsu Expressway – Mr. Ryushi KUBO, East Nippon Expressway Company Limited, Japan

• Disaster management of Hanshin Expressway with seismic simulation - Dr. Yasumasa SOGA, Hanshin Expressway Company Limited, Japan

• Road Emergencies in Chile and Information Management - Mr. Marcelo MEDINA, Ministry of Public Works -Roads Directorate, Chile

• Using the Latest Information Technologies to Establish the Road Early Warning System and Response in Taiwan - Dr. Chin-Fa CHEN, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Taiwan

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• WG1: Information and communication in disaster management - Mr. Jan GRUBER, WG1 leader, PIARC TC1.5 "Disaster Management"

• WG2: Financial aspect in disaster management - Dr. Saki YOTSUI, WG2 Co-leader, PIARC TC1.5 "Disaster Management" 

• WG3: Disaster management manual - Mr. Constantin ZBARNEA, WG3 leader, PIARC TC1.5 "Disaster Management"

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• Recent road infrastructure maintenance technologies essential for advanced disaster management - Dr. Yuzo OHNISHI, Prof. emeritus, Kyoto University, Japan 

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• Natural hazard risk management - Towards an assessment of the regional impact of damage to road bridges - Dr. Saki YOTSUI, Ritsumeikan university, Japan

• Minimize Expressway Closure Time in Natural Disaster - Mr. Yuji NISHIGAKI, West Nippon Expressway Company Limited, Japan

• REAAA Resilience Initiatives for Road Transport - Ms. Caroline EVANS, Chair PIARC TC 1.4 and Co-Chair REAAA Resilience Committee

• Financial aspect of disaster management, Italian case study - Ms. Sara CHINNICI, Design and Construction Management ANAS, Italy

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• Future Vision of Expressway Operation and Disaster Management with "i-MOVEMENT" - Mr. Hiroyuki MIYANISHI, Central Nippon Expressway Company Limited, Japan

• Application to comprehensive disaster prevention information system utilizing i-Dreams - Mr. Kouji HIGUMA, Metropolitan Expressway Company Limited, Japan

• Seismic Retrofit for Long-Span Bridges - Dr. Kazuo ENDO, Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Expressway Company Limited, Japan

• Disaster Risk Reduction in Indonesia - Dr. Herry VAZA, Highways Ministry of Public Works and Housing, Indonesia

• Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience of Road Networks (in Low and Middle income countries) - Dr. Mark Henry RUBARENZYA, Research and Development Uganda National Roads Authority, Uganda

• US Transportation Resilience Strategies - Mr. Christopher ENGELBRECHT, Safety and Emergency Management Missouri Department of Transportation, USA

• How to deal with a major flood when your country is not used to it? - Dr. Pierre GILLES, SPW Mobility and Infrastructure, Belgium 

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• Closing remark: Mr. Yasuhiro ISHIHARA, Chair of International committee, Japan Road Association (PIARC JAPAN)

• Closing remark: Mr. Patrick MALLÉJACQ, Secretary general, World Road Association (PIARC)

• Closing remark: Dr. Yukio ADACHI, Chair, PIARC TC1.5 "Disaster Management"

Conclusions of the Workshop

Recommendations to decision makers

This workshop discussed latest information technologies enhancing the disaster resilience and management thought the world cases studies of 15 experts and nine countries and regions.

Regarding disaster mitigation, this workshop discussed the retrofit of existing assets considering social impacts as well as the response to unexpected events, as an important issue. This is also an urgent issue in addressing climate change.

In terms of disaster preparedness and response, there was discussion on the importance of the latest digital technologies, such as sensing, monitoring, and data management. The progress of these technologies has been remarkable. Further evolution is expected.

Regarding disaster recovery, it was discussed that cooperation and coordinated activities among organizations involved in disaster management are important issues. It can be said that fostering social capital in a broad sense is also considered important in disaster management.

Technical conclusions

This workshop discussed that the continuing information exchange on good knowledge and best practices of new infrastructure and rehabilitation and retrofit of old infrastructure for climate change adaptation and disaster resilience will save the money and time and make acceleration for building the resilience society in LMICs. 

Recommendations to PIARC and other road organizations

This workshop identifies the importance of the hybrid format in post COVID time. Opportunities to meet face to face during the COVID-19 pandemic were greatly diminished, possibly resulting in weakened relationships among the disaster management community not only at the national and organizational level but also international level. Providing an opportunity for engineers involved in disaster management to create a community that encourages information sharing is necessary even during COVID-19. Beyond border activities are essential especially in unforeseen events. This workshop was held in hybrid format. The hybrid format can promote the face-to-face relations as well as enhance the information sharing through the virtual participation. Hybrid format will be necessary format in post COVID time.

This workshop also importance of the collaboration among different communities. This workshop was cooperated by not only within PIARC, TC 1.4 "Climate Change and Road Network Resilience" and TC 4.2 "Bridges", but also REAAA “Climate Change, Resilience and Emergency Management Committee”. The participation from different communities and the discussion among them create rich workshop and discussion. This will be resulted by hybrid format workshop and can be said this can be said the result of COVID-19 influence in a positive sense. 

Statistics

There were 210 participants to the event. On-site was 75 and on-line was 135.

There were participants from five different countries at the site. No country statistics could obtain to the online participants, but according to the 412 registration statistics, those consisted with 68 nations and regions.

Photos

• Photos of the international workshop

Briefing Note of the Workshop

• Road Disaster Management - Using Latest Information Technologies - Briefing Note

  

  An international workshop was jointly organized by PIARC via its Technical Committee 1.5 “Disaster Management" and the JARA (Japan Road Association). The event was greatly cooperated by REAAA (Regional Association of Asia and Australasia) via its Climate Change, Resilience and Emergency Management Committee. The event was also friendly cooperated by PIARC TC 1.4 (Climate Change and Resilience of Road Networks) and PIARC TC 4.2 (Bridges). This event provides information on the Road disaster management [...]