Nippon Koei Delivers Keynote on Landslide Hazard Mapping and Advanced Technology at ICGERE 2026

Mr. Taro Koike, Deputy Chief Representative of the Jakarta Office, Nippon Koei Co., Ltd., delivering his keynote presentation at ICGERE 2026.

Date : Oct 2026

Keynote

Landslide

ITB

JAKARTA - Mr. Taro Koike, Deputy Chief Representative of the Jakarta Office of Nippon Koei Co., Ltd., delivered a keynote presentation at the 8th International Conference on Geoscience and Earth Resources Engineering (ICGERE 2026), held on 26–27 August 2026 at Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Bandung, Indonesia. His presentation, titled “Japan’s Landslide Hazard Maps and the Use of Advanced Technology,” introduced how Japan designates landslide-prone areas and how AI, satellite data, 3D design tools and augmented reality are changing the way landslide risk is identified, managed and communicated.

Organized by the Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering (FTTM) of ITB, ICGERE 2026 brought together academics, researchers, industry practitioners and students under the theme “Integrated Earth Resources Engineering for Sustainable Energy, Mineral Development, and Disaster Risk Mitigation.”

Keynote Highlights

Mr. Koike’s presentation covered four topics, drawing on Nippon Koei’s engineering practice in Japan.

1. Japan’s Landslide Hazard Maps

Under Japan’s sediment disaster prevention framework, areas at risk from slope failure, landslides and debris flows are designated in two levels. In a Sediment Disaster Hazard Area (Yellow Zone), local governments must establish early warning and evacuation systems and include the area in their local disaster prevention plans. In a Special Sediment Disaster Hazard Area (Red Zone), where there is a risk of serious damage to buildings and people, new development is permitted only when countermeasures are in place, building structures are regulated, and owners may be advised to relocate.

According to MLIT, as of the end of June 2026, approximately 721,000 Yellow Zones and 621,000 Red Zones had been designated across Japan, making hazard maps a core tool for land-use planning and disaster preparedness.

Criteria for designating Sediment Disaster Hazard Areas (Yellow Zones) for debris flow, landslide and slope failure.

© Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. Zone criteria based on “Overview of the Sediment Disaster Prevention Act,” Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), Japan (https://www.mlit.go.jp/river/sabo/sinpoupdf/gaiyou.pdf).

Measures required in Yellow Zones and Red Zones, and the number of designated areas in Japan.

© Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. Based on “Overview of the Sediment Disaster Prevention Act,” Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), Japan (https://www.mlit.go.jp/river/sabo/sinpoupdf/gaiyou.pdf). Number of designated areas as of the end of June 2026: MLIT (https://www.mlit.go.jp/mizukokudo/sabo/content/001888481.pdf).

2. Identifying Landslide Topography Using AI and Satellite Analysis

Interpreting landslide terrain from topographic data has traditionally required experienced engineers and considerable time. Nippon Koei uses AI to automatically extract landslide topography from terrain data, and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR)—a satellite technique that detects very small ground movements over time—to evaluate slope stability. Together, these technologies significantly reduce the labour and time needed to obtain interpretation results, allowing wide areas to be screened efficiently.

AI-based extraction of landslide terrain: input data, AI output and target (interpretation by engineers).

© Nippon Koei Co., Ltd.

Slope stability evaluation using InSAR, showing areas of river erosion and subsidence (collapse of steep cliffs).

© Nippon Koei Co., Ltd.

3. Advanced Technology for Sabo Dam Design

Sabo dams are structures built across mountain streams to trap sediment and reduce the impact of debris flows on communities downstream. Mr. Koike presented an automated outline design approach that determines where sabo dams should be placed, what type and height they should be, and how many are needed. Using a 3D model, the system automatically calculates the sediment capture volume and construction quantities such as concrete volume and formwork, speeding up the planning and comparison of alternatives.

Automated outline design of sabo dams, with automatic calculation of sediment volume and construction quantities from a 3D model.

© Nippon Koei Co., Ltd.

4. Multi-Hazard Maps and Visualization Using Augmented Reality

Hazard maps are only effective if people understand them. By overlaying areas at risk of river flooding and landslides on a 3D model of the city, augmented reality (AR) allows residents and decision-makers to see intuitively which areas are affected and where safe areas are located. This supports clearer risk communication, evacuation planning and decision-making.

Multi-hazard visualization showing areas affected by river flooding and landslides, and safe areas.

© Nippon Koei Co., Ltd.

Relevance for Indonesia

Indonesia, with its mountainous terrain, volcanic geology and intense seasonal rainfall, faces frequent landslides and debris flows. The approaches presented—systematic hazard zoning linked to land-use rules, AI and satellite-based screening of large areas, efficient design of structural countermeasures,and visual tools for communicating risk—can support Indonesian government agencies, local governments and infrastructure developers in reducing disaster risk.

“Japan has built its landslide risk management over decades of experience, and new technologies are now making it faster and more accessible. I was glad to share these experiences with researchers and practitioners at ITB, and we look forward to working with Indonesian partners to apply them here.” — Taro Koike, Deputy Chief Representative, Jakarta Office, Nippon Koei Co., Ltd.

Nippon Koei’s Disaster Risk Reduction Experience in Indonesia

Nippon Koei has worked on sediment and volcanic disaster management in Indonesia for more than four decades. Its experience includes detailed design and construction supervision for the Mt. Semeru Urgent Rehabilitation Project (volcanic debris and mudflow control, 1985–1991) and the Mount Kelud Urgent Volcanic Disaster Mitigation Project (1992–1995), both financed by Japanese ODA loans. Building on this legacy, the company is currently providing detailed design, construction supervision and technical assistance for the Volcanic Disaster Risk Reduction Sector Loan Project.

Nippon Koei has also supported recovery and resilience planning after major disasters, including the Urgent Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Support Program for Aceh Province and Affected Areas in North Sumatra following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and the Project for Regional Disaster Risk Resilience Plan in Central Sulawesi (2018–2021) following the 2018 earthquake, tsunami and liquefaction. In the private sector, the company has carried out landslide risk assessments, geohazard mapping and advisory services on slope countermeasures for energy facilities across Indonesia.

Learn more about our Disaster Management Services, including Geohazard Management and Satellite-Based Disaster Monitoring.

Nippon Koei thanks the Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, ITB, for the invitation and the opportunity to exchange knowledge with the academic and professional community.