Résumé de section

  • Replier Déplier

    Welcome to the course

    Tout replier Tout déplier

    Strengthening Flood Forecasting in ASEAN Member States through Regional Trainings and Coordination

    e-Learning Course

    (31 August 2026 - 23 October 2026)

  • Replier Déplier

    Welcome to the Course

    About this course

    The course is provided as prerequisite course for participants in the training in Japan, which is scheduled for 2-13 Nobemver 2026, under the Government of Japan-funded project "Strengthening Flood Forecasting in ASEAN Member States through Regional Trainings and Coordination" project. 

    The course offers five self-paced modules to learn water-related disaster management. Participants gain fundamental knowledge of water cycle processes and water-related disasters. 

    The course serves as a preparatory step for the hands-on training in Japan; all participants in the training in Japan, which is scheduled for 2-13 November 2026, must complete the online course in advance. 


    Objective 

    This online course equips participants with foundational, interdisciplinary knowledge of water-related disaster risk reduction, covering water and climate, meteorology, hydrological processes, sediment disasters, and disaster risk reduction. 


    Who can take the course?

    The course is intended for representatives of the National Meteorological Services, National Hydrological Services, and National Disaster Management Agencies of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

    In addition to participants attending the in-person training in Japan in November 2026, the course is also open to other staff members from these institutions who are interested in becoming familiar with the topics covered.


    Learning resources to study before going to Japan

    • Module 1: Water and Climate, by Prof. Koike Toshio 
    • Module 2: Meteorology, by Prof. Ushiyama Tomoki 
    • Module 3: Hydrological Processes, by Prof. Abdul Wahid Mohamed Rasmy 
    • Module 4: Sediment Disasters, by Prof. Shimizu Yoshihiko 
    • Module 5: Disaster Risk Reduction, by Prof. Ohara Miho 
    • Tutorial: GSMaP Application for RRI (Mandatory for Hydrologists, optional for others) 


    How to take this course 
    1. Download PPT/PDF file for each module and read through the material. In case you do not see the mark "Done" after the download, please refresh your page. 
    2. Once completed all of five modules, take the quiz. Total of 25 questions will be asked, with 5 questions from the each of five modules.


    Completion Requirement 

    To complete the course, participants must 1) achieve a score of at least 80% on the Quiz and 2) complete the survey.

    Certificate will only be issued upon completion of all the programme, including e-Learning, in-person raining in Japan, and the follow-up training (TBC). 


    Contact

    In case of questions, please reach out to Nakul Prasad (nprasad@wmo.int) Kensuke Naito (knaito@wmo.int), and Mamoru Miyamoto (mmiyamoto@pwri.go.jp).

  • Replier Déplier

    Module 1: Water and Climate

    About this module

    This module, led by Prof. Toshio Koike, introduces the fundamental relationships between water and climate and describes how the water cycle connects the atmosphere, land and ocean. It provides a basic overview of exchanges of water and energy within the climate system and introduces how climate change can influence heavy precipitation and flooding. The module also highlights the importance of linking climate and water knowledge with disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and water resources management.

    Learning objectives

    By the end of this module, participants should be able to:

    • describe the basic relationships between the water cycle and the climate system;
    • identify key processes in the global energy and water cycle, including precipitation, evaporation and runoff;
    • explain, in basic terms, how climate change can influence heavy precipitation and flooding;
    • recognize the evidence for human influence on observed climate change; and
    • recognize the importance of integrating climate, hydrology and water resources knowledge into disaster risk reduction and adaptation.


    This course takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. 
  • Replier Déplier

    Module 2: Numerical Weather Prediction

    About this module

    This module, led by Prof. Tomoki Ushiyama, introduces the fundamentals of Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) and describes how atmospheric observations, data assimilation and numerical models are combined to produce weather forecasts. It introduces the roles of global and regional NWP models, including the use of higher-resolution regional models for rainfall prediction and hydrological applications. 

    The module also introduces ensemble forecasting as a means of understanding forecast uncertainty and reliability, and provides examples of its application to rainfall and flood forecasting. Finally, it provides a basic overview of emerging AI/ML approaches to weather forecasting and their relationship with conventional physics-based NWP. 

    Learning Objectives

    By the end of this module, participants should be able to:

    • describe the basic concept and main components of Numerical Weather Prediction;
    • explain the roles of atmospheric observations, data assimilation and numerical models in producing weather forecasts;
    • recognize the advantages of regional NWP models for higher-resolution rainfall prediction and hydrological applications;
    • describe the basic concept of ensemble forecasting and its use in understanding forecast uncertainty and reliability; and
    • recognize the main characteristics, opportunities and limitations of AI/ML-based weather forecasting in relation to physics-based NWP.

    This course takes approximately 30 minutes to complate. 

  • Replier Déplier

    Module 3: Hydrological Processes and Modelling

    About this module

    This module, prepared by Prof. Mohamed Rasmy, introduces fundamental hydrological processes and describes how water moves and is stored within a catchment. It explains basic concepts such as the water budget, evapotranspiration, runoff and surface energy balance, and introduces how these processes are represented in hydrological models. 

    The module also introduces different approaches to hydrological modelling, including lumped and distributed models, and describes the basic concepts of rainfall-runoff and inundation simulation. Particular attention is given to the Rainfall-Runoff-Inundation model (RRI model) and Water and Energy Budget-based RRI model (WEB-RRI model) and their use in flood forecasting, inundation analysis and broader water-related applications. 

    Learning Objectives

    By the end of this module, participants should be able to:

    • describe the main components of the hydrological cycle and catchment water budget;
    • explain the basic roles of precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff, storage and energy exchange in catchment hydrology;
    • distinguish, in basic terms, between lumped and distributed hydrological modelling approaches;
    • describe the basic purpose and structure of rainfall-runoff-inundation modelling, including the RRI model; and
    • recognize how hydrological models can support flood forecasting, inundation assessment and water resources management.

    This course takes approximately 35 minutes to complete. 


  • Replier Déplier

    Module 4: Sediment Disasters

    About this module

    This module, offered by Prof. Yoshihiko Shimizu, introduces the fundamentals of sediment transport and describes how sediment processes shape river channels and contribute to sediment-related disasters. It explains basic concepts such as sediment production, transport and deposition, riverbed forms, sediment movement, and the role of channel slope and flow conditions. 

    The module also introduces the mechanisms of slope failure and debris flows, examples of debris-flow disasters and countermeasures, and flood disasters associated with channel migration and bank erosion. It further presents basic measures for reducing sediment-disaster risks, including sabo structures and bank erosion control. 

    Learning objectives

    By the end of this module, participants should be able to:

    • describe the basic processes of sediment production, transport and deposition within a river basin;
    • explain, in basic terms, how river slope, flow conditions and sediment characteristics influence sediment movement and channel form;
    • describe the basic mechanisms of slope failure and debris-flow development;
    • recognize how channel migration, alternate bars and meandering flow can contribute to bank erosion and flood-related damage; and
    • identify basic structural and river-management measures used to reduce debris-flow and bank-erosion risks.

    This course takes approximately 65 minutes to complete. 


  • Replier Déplier

    Module 5: Disaster Risk Reduction

    About this module

    This module, offered by Prof. Miho Ohara, introduces the fundamentals of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, including its goals and four priorities for action. It describes disaster risk in terms of hazard, exposure, vulnerability and capacity, and introduces the basic steps of flood risk assessment. 

    The module also introduces approaches to assessing flood hazards, exposure, vulnerability and capacity, and explains how these elements can be combined to analyze potential flood impacts and identify appropriate countermeasures. It further highlights the importance of stakeholder participation and different approaches to managing disaster risk, including prevention, reduction, transfer and retention. 

    Learning objectives

    By the end of this module, participants should be able to:

    • describe the basic goals and priorities of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction;
    • explain the basic components of disaster risk, including hazard, exposure, vulnerability and capacity;
    • identify the main steps involved in flood risk assessment;
    • describe how flood impact scenarios and stakeholder discussions can support risk-informed planning; and
    • recognize different approaches to disaster risk management, including risk prevention, reduction, transfer and retention.

    This course takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. 


  • Replier Déplier

    Quiz: Test Your Knowledge!

    25 questions will be asked, with 5 questions selected at random from the 10 questions prepared for each of 5 lectures (the system has 50 questions in its database). Participants may take the quiz as many times as they like.

    • Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
  • Replier Déplier

    Tutorial: Introduction to Rainfall-Runoff-Inundation model (Must for Hydrologists, Optional for others)

    This turial, prepared by Dr. Daiki Kakinuma, introduces the fundamental concept and use of the Rainfall-Runoff-Inundation model, which is the central technical tool during the training in Japan. The hydrologists are expected to become familiar with the model use prior to the in-person training. 

    The tutorial provides 1) Introduction slides (Tutorial_Introduction to Rainfall-Runoff-Inundation model.pdf), 2) turorial dataset for RRI model run (TutorialData.zip), and 3) turorial dataset for the implementation of satellite-based precipitation data to the RRI modelling (Turial_GSMaP_RRI.zip).

    The RRI model can be downloaded at the ICHARM's website: https://www.pwri.go.jp/icharm/research/rri/index.html

    Please note that the RRI model is recognized in the WMO inventory as one of the interoperable models for NMHSs to select appropriate models and platforms for their needs. 

    The RRI page in the WMO inventory: https://www.floodmanagement.info/find-2/end-to-end-early-warning-systems-for-flood-forecasting-e2e-ews-ff/inventory/hydrologic/rri/


    • Introduction to RRI Model Fichier PDF
      Les étudiants doivent
      Consulter
      Introduction and tutorial slides. 
    • Tutorial dataset Fichier ZIP
      Les étudiants doivent
      Consulter
      RRI modelling tutorial dataset.
      606.3 Ko
    • Application of GSMaP to RRI Modelling Fichier ZIP
      Les étudiants doivent
      Consulter

      This tutorial introduces a practical workflow for obtaining satellite-based rainfall data for hydrological modelling using Google Earth Engine and Google Colab. It provides a ready-to-use Python notebook that retrieves hourly JAXA GSMaP Gauge v8 precipitation data, clips the data to the target basin based on the RRI elevation input file, and converts the rainfall data into a format that can be used by the RRI model. 

      The tutorial also describes the basic steps for registering and authenticating Google Earth Engine, configuring the simulation period, uploading the required RRI files, running the script, and checking and downloading the generated outputs. The workflow is designed to run entirely in Google Colab without requiring a local GIS or Python environment.

      1.1 Mo
  • Replier Déplier

    How did you like the course?

    Thank you for completing this e-Learning course.

    This course is intended as a preparatory course for the in-person training in Japan in November 2026. Its purpose is to introduce key concepts and provide participants with a common foundation before the training. It is not intended to provide comprehensive knowledge or full technical proficiency in the subjects covered.

    We would appreciate your feedback to help us improve the course for future participants. The survey should take approximately 5 minutes to complete.