Evaluation of the effects by implementing and improving the Flood Hazard Mapping Training Course'

In addition to structural measures such as flood protection levees, dams and retarding basins, flood hazard maps (hereafter referred to as FHMaps), as a part of nonstructural measures, has recently been recognized as more important in Japan, which has suffered from recurrent flood disasters until today. By utilizing the experience of training on flood management, Japan International Cooperation Agency and the International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management implemented the Flood Hazard Mapping Training Course (hereafter referred to as FHM-TC) for 5 years from FY2004. The FHM-TC was implemented successfully by improving the framework and curriculum of the training course and by reflecting comments and requests from trainees of the past training courses who participated in the follow-up activities. This paper introduces the outline of FHM-TC, which includes the recently developed field exercise method Town-watching, and it describes the year-by-year improvement of the FHM-TC from its implementation of the previous years (e.g. the enhancement of the management and support systems), and the development of supporting tools based on the feedbacks of the follow-up seminars. It also evaluates the effect of the training course on the trainees' understanding level on flood hazard mapping, which was investigated by conducting questionnaire survey and giving simple test to the trainees. Furthermore, it presents the development of a new training course by utilizing the experiences of the FHM-TC.