About the training
A training on flood and early warning system is being organised by The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) under the framework of SERVIR-HKH initiative in partnership with Shree Chandradhar Secondary School, Dhading, Nepal. This initiative recognises the recognises the critical need for disaster preparedness and management in the hilly and disaster-prone region in Nepal.
Through this initiative, local communities will learn about disaster preparedness by using SERVIR’s early warning systems and tools. Streamflow Prediction, Flash Flood Prediction, PrakopAlert mobile app, and High-Impact Weather Assessment Toolkit (HIWAT) tools will be covered in practical exercises. Local policymakers and implementers from Benighat, Rorang rural municipality, forest office, police office, and Nepal Red Cross Society will be joining the training. Teachers from nearby schools, including Shree Chandrodaya Secondary School will also take part.
Objectives
The main objective of this daylong training is to equip targeted local stakeholders with practical knowledge and skills in disaster preparedness by using SERVIR’s flood and extreme weather early warning tools.
Expected outcomes
Upon completion of the training, participants will have a better understanding of utilizing SERVIR’s applications and tools on early warning systems, flood and extreme weather. which will allow them to use the knowledge and skills acquired to use in potential disaster preparedness and management.
Expected participants
Participants from Benighat Rorang Rural Municipality, local police office, Nepal Red Cross Society, forest office, teachers of Shree Chandradhar Secondary School and nearby schools, and other relevant service providers in Dhading area are expected to attend the training.
Speakers/facilitators
- Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, Senior Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Specialist, ICIMOD
- Kiran Shakya, Geospatial Application Development Specialist, ICIMOD
- Bikram Shakya, Geospatial Application Development Analyst, ICIMOD
- Keshav Kandel, Vice Principal, Chandrodaya Secondary School
Background
Sustainable water management and reducing risks from natural hazards such as floods and extreme weather are major concerns for countries in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, including Nepal. Confronted with limited knowledge and inadequate resources, mountain-specific solutions for water-related problems have remained rather tenuous and generally ineffective.
ICIMOD’s SERVIR-HKH Initiative, a joint partnership between U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has developed several science applications to contribute to effective, evidence-based decision-making processes by governments, communities, and individuals using scientific data, earth observation information, and geospatial information technologies. These science applications are categorized to respond to the areas of disaster, natural resources, agriculture, environment, and climate change.
ICIMOD has collaborated with the NASA, SERVIR Applied Sciences Team to develop tools to assist in forecasting flash floods, high-impact weather events – extending from sub-seasonal to seasonal, and streamflow in river networks in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. These science applications provide information that is a significant improvement over current deterministic forecasting systems and is therefore more reliable and actionable. These services are maintained on an open-access web portal for public use and feedback, and ICIMOD regularly engages relevant stakeholders in capacity development activities.
