From December 2nd to 4th, 2024, the 69th Conference on Hydraulic Engineering was held in Toyama Prefecture. Postdoc researcher Bobby, PhD students Yogi, Matsuo, and Kido, Master students Takase and Sakagami participated in the event.
Since Toyama Prefecture is located near the Noto region in Ishikawa Prefecture, which was severely affected by two major disasters (an earthquake in January 2024 and a heavy rainfall in September 2024), we took a field trip to the disaster-affected area on December 1st with another student Ishida. We arrived on November 30th and enjoyed our first visit to Ishikawa, visiting Kenrokuen Garden, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, and tasting Hanton Rice.
On December 1st, we first visited Tsukadagawa River in Wajima City. The upstream areas of Tsukadagawa suffered significant damage, including the destruction of houses due to large amounts of sediment and debris flowing downstream. Large amounts of sediment and driftwood were still present upstream, indicating a major landslide event. Further downstream, homes were destroyed by the debris and driftwood. Although recovery efforts are underway, much sediment remains.
The geology in this area is relatively soft, and we observed that small amounts of pressure were enough to break the stones. It is thought that the soft geology contributed to the extent of the damage.
We then proceeded to the towns of Machinogawa and Suzuyagawa further west. On the way, we passed a road that had been blocked due to a landslide during the September heavy rainfall. We took a detour along a newly created road that had been built on land raised by the earthquake. As we traveled, we could feel the immense power of nature. Once we arrived, we saw many damages, including displaced roads due to the earthquake, collapsed slopes from the heavy rainfall, and eroded riverbanks.
Although over two months had passed since the heavy rainfall disaster, many areas still showed significant damage, allowing us to witness the scale of the disaster firsthand. Items such as futons and cars, which were likely used before the disaster, were still covered in mud, reminding us of the terrifying suddenness with which disasters can disrupt daily life.
From December 2nd, we participated in the conference in Toyama Prefecture. During the opening ceremony, Yogi was awarded for his achievement (Best International Paper) last year. All sessions were well-attended, and the presentations were highly specialized, leading to questions from different perspectives than usual seminars. Despite this, everyone successfully delivered their presentations. Additionally, D1 student Matsuo received an award.
The Conference on Hydraulic Engineering gathers many young researchers every year. We also had social events, especially for the D1 students, where we were able to strengthen our connections with researchers from other universities.
