(Construction) - The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan is targeting Southeast and South Asia to encourage Japanese companies to win orders for dam rehabilitation.
The ministry will survey the improvement needs of approximately 60 existing dams that Japanese companies have been involved in constructing. In light of the current situation in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, where frequent flooding is believed to be caused by climate change, the ministry will focus its efforts on marketing a "hybrid dam," a new direction for dam development and operation.
The 4th Asia-Pacific Water Forum was held in Kumamoto City in April, where leaders and top officials from 30 countries in the region attended. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the "Kumamoto Initiative" as a measure to contribute to water issues in the Asia-Pacific region. The initiative aims to develop and provide hybrid technologies that can both adapt to and mitigate climate change through the development of high quality infrastructure, which is one of Japan's strengths.
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| Sutami Dam in Indonesia |
The initiative will contribute to reducing damage caused by flooding through the effective use of existing dams and the development of sewage systems and agricultural drainage facilities. It will also lead to the creation of clean energy and the reduction of greenhouse gas emission. To improve the living environment, the expansion and renewal of water supply facilities will also be promoted. The Japanese government will provide approximately 500 billion yen in assistance over the next five years.
In terms of effective use of existing dams, MLIT will make efforts to propose to Southeast Asian and South Asian countries a new, high-quality dam development and operation that combines the functions and concepts of flood control, power generation, and regional development, called a “hybrid dam.”
Compared to conventional multi-purpose dams, the hybrid dam can offer greater flexibility in flood control and incorporate the concept of "hybrid capacity," a reservoir capacity that can be allocated for both flood control and water utilization. Referring to recent highly accurate weather forecasts, the reservoir will be filled to capacity during normal times and after floods before enhancing its hydropower generation function. On the other hand, when heavy rains are expected, as much water as possible will be released to prepare for rising water levels. (2022/11/02)
The Daily Engineering and Construction of Japan
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