nh43b-1032: community based flood early warning system in...
TRANSCRIPT
NH43B-1032: Community Based Flood Early Warning System in Nepal:
Citizen Science and Participatory Approach towards Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Building
Madhab Uprety1, Dinanath Bhandari1, Gopal Ghimire1, Gehendra Gurung1, Jonathan David Paul2, Puja Shakya1 1Practical Action, Nepal, 2Imperial College London, UK
1. Introduction
• Two approaches of EWS: “the last mile”-which is hazard centered and top-down, “the
first mile” which is people centered and bottom up
• First mile approach- Community Early Warning System, Community centric,
Community based or participatory EWS
• Various forms of citizen science engagement exist across Participatory EWS
elements- Participation model could be contributive, collaborative, and co-creative
• Community based Flood Early Warning Systems in Nepal is employing various
citizen science models and approaches for participatory flood risk reduction
• Concerning community based disaster risk management, particularly the
participatory EWS, there are participation as well as barriers to citizen engagement
and coproduction of knowledge
• However, local level capacity is always crucial to ensure involvement and ownership
in EWS
2. Flooding Context in Nepal
3. . Evolutional History of Flood EWS in Nepal
Figure 4: EWS related Technology Development/Use in Nepal
1. IFRC (2012), Community Early Warning Systems: guiding principles
2. Marchezini et.al. (2018). Front. Earth Sciences
3. Paul et.al (2018), Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews
4. Practical Action (2016), Flood Early Warning System in Practice
• Floods and landslides- the
most recurrent nature-
induced disaster
phenomenon
• Ganga flood plains in the
south- the recipient of all
the water that flows
through these mountain
corridors
• More people live in flood
vulnerable area
• Flood eroding
development gains (3-5 %
GDP
5. Conclusions
References
• Flood risk reduction actions should recognize the importance and
usefulness of citizen participation in all elements of EWS
• Citizen engagement in formal EWS is necessary to get the system function
properly
• Need for transdisciplinary dialogs among experts, practitioners,
communities, policymakers, as well as interdisciplinary methods of data
collection, analysis and dissemination of locally relevant information
• However advancement in the EWS technology is posing challenges to get
the citizen engagement and ownership towards the system
Citizen
Science Communication
Risk
Knowledge
Response
Capacity
Participatory EWS
Monitoring
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Nu
mb
er
Peop
le c
overe
d b
y E
WS
messa
gin
g
Construction
of watch
towers
Link to
upstream
gauge station
Automation
of gauge
station
Flood
forecasting
and Mass SMS
Two third
country
populati
on
12 river systems
(400000 Hhs )
7 river
systems (
68000Hhs)
3 river systems
( 29000 Hhs)
Indigenous
techniques
was in place.
Improvements in
tower systems,
sirens, signalling.
Weather
Forecast
( Radar)
Increased lead
time, staff
gauge, shaft
encoder, bubbler
sensors,
wireless phones
Lead time upto 5
hours, shaft
encoder and
bubbler system,
computer
modelling, Radar,
tele/satellite
communication
Radar technology,
Forecast based
warning, use of
GLOFAS and
localized
forecasting
models,
telecommunication
2000s 2006 2010 2014
4. Citizen Science Initiatives for Participatory Flood EWS
Risk Knowledge
• Community Participatory Mapping (PRA, VCA
and others) - Digital and Open
• Open street mapping using both satellite images
and community maps
• Local stakeholders fill major data gaps (locally
relevant risk data)
• Focus group discussions with local communities
to discuss and further improve the baseline
maps
• Can periodically update the maps and
knowledge sharing across communities and
local stakeholders
Risk Monitoring
• Community systems of manual river-
gauge monitoring have been
integrated with national real time
monitoring systems
• River and Rainfall monitoring - done
by DHM staff (gauge readers)
• Formal risk information is
complemented by low-tech
monitoring of river levels within
communities,
• Early Warning System Task Forces
using color-coded gauges painted on
buttresses of bridges or on bamboo
poles
Risk Communication
• Communication Flow Channel
for Flood Early warnings (two-
way flow of information)
• Early Warning task forces in
the communities
• Use of sirens, hand mikes and
colored flags to alert people for
different risk level
Response Capacity
• Community level institutions like disaster
management committees, task forces etc. and
preparing evacuation plans etc.
• Several Training sessions, educational activities
and public displays of information
• Capacity Building – awareness programs,
seminars, workshops, interactive programs, mock-
drill exercises etc. Multipurpose Safe Shelters
Figure 1: Elements of Participatory EWS & Citizen Science Model
Three distinct types of rivers
•Big perennial snow-fed rivers (2008 Koshi
Flood, 2013 Mahakali Flood, 2014 Karnali
Flood)
•Rivers originating from middle mountains
(2017 Flood)
• Torrents or streams originating from the
Chure Hills and Siwaliks (2017 Flood)
Figure 2: River Basins of Nepal & Hydro-met Stations
Figure 3: Annual Loss of Lives due to
Flood After 2000 in Nepal
Figure 5: Participatory way of Digital Mapping
OUTPUTS
Rainfall Monitoring
Information on
Flood levels
Streamflow/Flood
monitoring
Weather forecasting
Threshold level of
rainfall for landslide,
flashflood advisories
Weather advisories
Forecast based
preparedness
Heavy rainfall alert
Flood, landslide alert
Flood warning
RIS
K C
OM
MU
NIC
AT
ION
1. Below warning level
2. Warning level & above
3. Danger level & above
Risk
monitoring
Figure 6 : Risk Monitoring through stages
Figure 7 : EWS Communication Channel
Figure 8 : Community Mock drill Exercise
Contact:
Madhab Uprety, Practical Action