About the meeting
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDDRMA) and ICIMOD have begun collaborating on multi-hazard risk assessments in the country. As a part of the joint efforts, this workshop will provide a platform to introduce, discuss, and gather feedback on landslide and flood mapping and forecasting tools and their current and future capabilities, and provide training to relevant stakeholders in Nepal. The workshop will help foster collaboration among stakeholders to address the evolving needs in disaster management in the country.
The workshop is also aimed at providing technical support to the task force on Multi Hazard Risk Assessment and Multi Hazard Early Warning System in Nepal.
These tools are being developed under ICIMOD’s SERVIR-HKH (an initiative jointly undertaken by USAID and NASA), and with support from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and Alaska Satellite Faculty, University of Alaska.
Objectives
- Familiarise participants with the capabilities and effectiveness of available landslide risk mapping and forecasting tools for the Karnali River Basin.
- Share planned activities and methodology for the development of HydroSAR daily water extent forecasting. This innovative approach aims to provide reliable predictions of water levels on a daily basis.
- Seek feedback from participants regarding the performance of the forecasting models and gather suggestions for possible upgrades. This feedback will help refine the models to meet the specific needs of stakeholders.
- Bring together relevant stakeholders who are actively involved in landslide and flood disaster management, providing a platform for them to share their experiences, challenges, and current requirements.
Background
Weather-related hazards, such as floods and landslides, have a significant impact on the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region due to their high frequency, substantial financial costs, and adverse effects on the population and socioeconomic activities. During severe weather events, Earth observation data play a critical role in gathering information about past and current incidents, as well as the extent of landslides, unstable slopes, and surface inundation. This valuable information, along with weather forecast data, can be used to predict and prepare for future hazards. Additionally, integrating this data with other social and infrastructure information enables effective disaster response efforts and informed decision-making processes.
In Nepal, landslides and floods are major natural hazards that result in the loss of lives, property damage, and significant infrastructure destruction each year. To enhance understanding and forecasting systems for these hazards, ICIMOD has been collaborating with NASA-GSFC to develop a landslide mapping and forecasting system for the Karnali River Basin, Nepal, and with the University of Alaska on developing daily flood water extent forecasting and ground slope motion analysis using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data. With support and guidance from the NDRRMA, this joint activity has been commencing under ICIMOD’s SERVIR-HKH programme.
