Prof. Dr. Kaoru Takara
Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan
Prof. Kaoru Takara is Professor of Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University since 1998 and Adjunct Professor of United Nations University (UNU) since 2008. His major is hydrology and water resources engineering, focusing on integrated water resources management (IWRM), precipitation‐runoff analysis, modeling and forecasting, frequency and risk analysis of extreme events such as heavy rainfalls, floods and droughts, as well as sustainability science for disaster management. He has been actively working for UNESCO International Hydrological Programme (IHP) for 18 years as Vice Chair of IHP Intergovernmental Council (2008‐2010), Secretary (1999‐2012) and Chair (2013 ‐ current) of IHP Regional Steering Committee for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and Chair of the Japanese IHP National Committee (2010 ‐ current).
He is also serving as Secretary‐General of Asia Pacific Association of Hydrology and Water Resources (APHW), Board member (Director) of the International Water Resources Association (IWRA), Associate Editor of International Journal of Flood Risk Management. Prof. Takara got JSCE Best Paper Awards in 2001 and 2007 and International Activities Encouragement Award in 2007 from the Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE). So far, Professor Takara, who is also in charge of graduate school education at the Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, has produced 32 doctors (Ph.D. in Engineering) from such states/areas as Brazil (2), China (2), Croatia, India (2), Indonesia, Japan (10), R. Korea (3), Malaysia (2), Nepal (4), The Philippines, Taiwan (2), Tanzania, and Vietnam. His laboratory keeps about more than ten such international students/Post Docs every year. He is currently Program Coordinator of the Inter‐Graduate School Program for Sustainable Development and Survivable Societies (GSS), which is one of the Leading Graduate School Programs supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS).
