Asian Mountain Environmental Research Project: Aiming to Establish a Base for Mountain Research Aiming to Serve as a Base for Mountain Research on Environmental Changes and Natural Disasters in Asian Mountainous Regions

Project Title

Asian Mountain Environmental Research Project: Aiming to Establish a Base for Mountain Research

Aiming to Serve as a Base for Mountain Research on Environmental Changes and Natural Disasters in Asian Mountainous Regions

Full-time researcher

NARAMA Chiyuki

Professor, Academic Assembly Institute of Science and Technology

Professor, Faculty of Science

Overview

Mountainous regions are rich in untapped valuable natural resources; however, they are also vulnerable to various negative environmental impacts. Those with increasing human activity are more prone to severe natural disasters. Research is being conducted worldwide on mountainous regions—where diverse phenomena and environmental changes can be observed—as a specific field of research. Mountain research in Japan, however, is still insufficient. The Mountain Environmental Research Project primarily focuses on Asia—including the Tien Shan, Ladakh, the Eastern Himalayas, and the Chubu Sangaku area in Japan—but also covers other mountainous regions in the world, including Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro in Eastern Africa. The aim is to serve as a hub for mountain research in Japan.

With focus on what is going on in mountainous regions, this project aims to understand environmental changes and other phenomena and help reduce the risk of natural disasters. Specifically, the project studies glacier variations, the spatial distribution of mountain permafrost, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), glacier avalanches, and such geomorphic hazards as rockfalls, rock slope failure, and landslides. The techniques used for this purpose include fieldwork (field observation), geographic information system (GIS), remote sensing (satellite images, UAV aerial images, and aerial photos), and data science (AI). The project also involves outreach activities designed to utilize research outcomes to benefit local communities. These activities include briefing sessions and workshops for various stakeholders—including local residents, schoolteachers, mountain guides, and mountain hut operators—in the Indian region of Ladakh, the Kyrgyz Republic, and the Japanese village of Hakuba. The project is funded by Grants-in-aid for Science Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science as well as by local government subsidies and private grants.

Project Members

Name

Institution

Area of Specialization

Notes
NARAMA Chiyuki

Professor, Faculty of Science, Niigata University

 Physical geography  
IIDA Yusuke Associate Professor, Faculty of Engineering, Niigata University Planetary space science  
MAEDA Yosuke Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, Niigata University Human geography  
KOMORI Jiro Associate Professor, Faculty of Modern Life, Teikyo Heisei University Natural disaster science  
TADONO Takeo Senior Researcher, JAXA Satellite environment  
YAMANOKUCHI Tsutomu Chief Researcher, RESTEC Satellite environment  
Mirlan Daiyrov Foreign fellow, Academic Assembly Institute of Science and Technology, Niigata University Glacial disaster science  
Murataly Duishonakunov Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Geography, Ecology and Tourism, Kyrgyz National University Physical geography  

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