The 8th Japan-Italy Conference on Sediment-related Disaster Prevention Technologies was held mostly in Tokyo from November 27 to 30, 2012. The participants introduced the efforts of both countries and exchanged opinions with the theme of "responses to major sediment-related disasters." They also reviewed cooperation between both countries over the past 15 years and discussed the direction in which future cooperation should head.

In the keynote lecture, the participants gave presentations with the main focus on efforts of government agencies in both countries to reduce sediment-related disasters. Lectures were given on national measures to prevent sediment-related disasters in both countries. For example, in Japan, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the central government agency, and prefectures which are local governments are cooperating in measures to prevent sediment-related disasters. Meanwhile, state governments which are local governments are taking initiatives in preventing sediment-related disasters while the central government is rarely involved in Italy.

In the presentations of technologies and research, the Italian participants gave a presentation on a monitoring system and forecasting and warning system. The Japanese participants talked about major sediment-related disasters in recent years and sediment-related disasters caused by heavy rain. The participants shared information on the current conditions of sediment-related disasters and measures to prevent them, which are issues that both countries are facing.

At the end of the conference, the participants gave presentations on the joint research that both countries have conducted over the past 15 years and talked about the future direction in which such cooperation should head. The participants mutually agreed that they would "continue with joint research on sediment-related disasters" and "discuss and cooperate to resolve administrative problems." The participants from both countries agreed that they would start discussions to set themes for technical cooperation in the future and hold the next conference in Italy in 2014, and then they signed the conference minutes.

Program

1. Opening remarks

Noriyuki Minami (director general of Sabo Department in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
Maurizio Conte (regional minister of the environment in Veneto)
Alberto Mengoni (councilor in charge of technologies in the science and technology department of Italian Embassy in Tokyo)

2. Keynote lecture

"Sabo projects in Japan" Noriyuki Minami (director general of Sabo Department in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
"Flood risk management in Veneto" Maurizio Conte (regional minister of the environment in Veneto)

3. Presentations on technologies and researches

Session 1: Major sediment-related disasters

"Automatic landslide monitoring system using the web" Gianluca Marcato (researcher of the Padova branch of Research Institute for Geo-hydrological Protection, the Italian National Research Council)
"Major sediment-related disasters in recent years in Japan" Nobutomo Osanai (leader of Erosion and Sediment Control Research Group, Public Works Research Institute)

Session 2: Systematic measures to prevent sediment-related disasters

"Forecasting and warning system for landslides caused by rain" Silvia Percacci (researcher of the Perugia branch of Research Institute for Geo-hydrological Protection, the Italian National Research Council)
"Sediment-related disasters caused by heavy rains in Japan" Atsushi Okamoto (director of Erosion and Sediment Control Division, Research Center for Disaster Management, the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management)

4. Review of technical cooperation between Japan and Italy over the past 15 years and direction in which future cooperation should head

"Japan-Italy technical cooperation over the 15 years on sediment-related disasters" Alessandro Pasut (research director of the Padova branch of Research Institute for Geo-hydrological Protection, the Italian National Research Council)
"Japan-Italy cooperation to prevent sediment-related research in recent years" Koji Goto (director of Research Center for Disaster Risk Management, the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management)

5. Discussion and dialogue session

6. Closing remarks

Hiroyuki Ono (director of Sabo (Erosion and Sediment Control) Planning Division, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)