Taiwan & Japan Research Institutes Sign MOU On Tsunami Research

The National Cheng Kung University and Japan’s Port and Airport Research Institute have signed an MOU to study coastal disaster prevention.

AsianScientist (Jun. 12, 2013) – Taiwan’s National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) Tainan Hydraulics Laboratory (THL) and Japan’s Port and Airport Research Institute (PARI) officially signed a memorandum of understanding to study coastal disaster prevention during a recent visit by NCKU THL Director Yang-Yih Chen to Japan.

Taiwan and Japan are maritime nations that face the potential threats of earthquakes and tsunamis. The cooperation between the two marine engineering research institutes will help to enhance the effectiveness of mitigating such disasters, said Director Chen.

Under the collaboration, research studies are planned to look into the surges caused by typhoons and tsunamis and the phenomenon of coastal floods caused by tsunamis.

Experts, scholars, and researchers from both institutes will conduct training, organize academic seminars, and exchange technical reports in the area of marine engineering and marine environmental science research.

“The Port and Airport Research Institute (PARI) have a water tank that artificially produces tsunami waves and related advanced facilities,” said NCKU THLK Director Chen. “These facilities can be used to investigate the mechanism on the destruction of breakwater caused by tsunami and surges, which can assist in the prevention and mitigation of coastal disasters.”

“The cooperation agreement signed by Taiwan and Japan is only the first step towards coastal disaster prevention,” PARI Director Shigeo Takahashi added. “In the future, the research partnership on marine engineering between Taiwan and Japan will be gradually strengthened and enhanced.”

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Source: NCKU; Photo: Scientology Volunteer Ministers/Flickr/CC.
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