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The 1st General Meeting of IFNet was held on August 10, 2003 in Stockholm.
In the Meeting, organization of IFNet was settled. Mr. Avinash C. Tyagi,
Director-General of Hydrology and Water Resources, World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) was appointed to the Chairperson. Mr. Akihiko Nunomura,
Director of River Planning Division, River Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure
and Transport (MLIT), Japan and Mr. Kees P. van Laarhoven, Director General
for Water, Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, The
Netherlands were appointed to the Vice Chairpersons. Mr. Ryosuke Kikuchi,
Director of 2nd Research Department, Infrastructure Development Institute-Japan
was appointed to Director General of IFNet Secretariat. The following is
extracts from their speech;
- Chairperson: Mr. Avinash C. Tyagi, Director-General of Hydrology and
Water Resources, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) "A network
like IFNet will bring together flood managers and policy makers to work
for sustainable development in order to reduce the vulnerability of the
poor and societies at risk in flood prone areas. Disasters strike when
we fail to plan and it is within the human ingenuity to ensure that through
effective understanding, forecasting and management we do not allow floods
to turn into disasters. Thus, IFNet's Global Flood Alert System (GFAS)
can play a leading role in reducing vulnerability through preparedness."
- Vice Chairperson: Mr. Akihiko Nunomura, Director of 
River Planning Division, River Bureau, Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT), Japan "Flood damage not only affects the victimized country but also other countries due to the interdependence of countries as a result of the global economy. Floods in other countries are not something to merely watch and shrug our shoulders about. They are not like a fire on the other side of the river. Our Network will contribute not only to international society; it will also serve the interest of each participating country."
- Vice Chairperson: Mr. Kees P. van Laarhoven, Director General for Water, Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, The Netherlands Mr. Laarhoven could not attend the meeting because of his duties. He gave us a message. "Floods are a global problem. Transboundary co-operation in water basins needs more attention. Innovative concepts like 'giving more space for water'. From a policy perspective, most of these points are new. In order to succeed we need to exchange experiences and ideas across borders. I hope and expect that IFNet will play an important role in this respect at a global level."
- Director General of Secretariat: Mr. Ryosuke Kikuchi,
Director of 2nd Research Department, Infrastructure
Development Institute-Japan
"The Secretary will further develop a response to the
necessity of an international network of flood fighting activities, and
we will continue our efforts to make IFNet a more effective network for
participants."
 
The Secretariat reported the activities from its establishment to present,
future action program and financial statement. The flowing flood-related
activities were also introduced;
a) "Global Flood Alert System" by IDI,
b) "Towards Collaborating with GFAS in Asia and the Pacific for Sustainable
Socio-Economic Development" by ESCAP, and
c) "Flood Management System in Zambia" by University of Zambia
(UNZA) Proceedings will be uploaded in the website
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