UKHO award recognises hydrographic contribution

Dr Nishida was given the award for his contribution to hydrography throughout his lengthy career with the Japan Coastguard, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Japan Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department (JHOD).

Ian Moncrieff CBE, UKHO chief executive said, “He holds immense respect amongst the international hydrographic community well beyond his own region in which he is equally a legendary figure. It is for his very significant and long standing contribution in capacity building and his high order leadership in response to natural disaster that he is presented with the 2012 Alexander Dalrymple Award.”

The award also recognises his actions taken following the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in 2011. Under his leadership, the JHOD team responded professionally and quickly to the disaster, which played a vital role in Japan’s successful recovery. His work demonstrated the significant role that hydrographic surveys and charting can play in such disastrous situations.

As well as this, Dr Nishida was awarded for his Japan Capacity Building Project, a collaboration set up to annually train six cartographers to the highest international standard.