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).