Responding to Climate Change Through Flood Early Warning System

Gehendra B. GurungPractical Action Nepal

Local Practitioners and Climate Change Finance in Asia-Pacific

30-31 October 2012Bangkok

Presentation Structure

• Understanding Local Climate Change,Its Effects and Implications at Local Level

• Identifying Actions to respond to Climate Change and Its Effects at Local Level

• Source of Funding

• Way Forward

Climate Change in respect to rainfall and its EffectsNumber of days with rain >= 100 mm

19771992, 35

1987, 106 19981975

1982

y = 0.5997x + 61.417

R2 = 0.0984

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1971

1973

1975

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

Year

Day

s

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

1976-801981-851986-901991-951996-002001-05

8 0 8 1 8 2 8 3 8 4 8 5 8 6 8 7 8 8

2 7

2 8

2 9

3 0

- 4 0

- 3 0

- 2 0

- 1 0

0

1 0

2 0

3 0

4 0

Year (Flood) Return year2023 (1966) - 2040 Shrawan (1983) 17 years2050 Bhadra (1993) 10 years2060 Bhadra (2003) 10 years2063 Bhadra (2006) 3 years

Increase in landslides Increased debris flow Increase in flashfloods and inundation

Implications of Changes in Rainfall

• Frequent and intensive flood and landslides compared to past

• Off-seasonal floods and landslides – increasing uncertainties

• Unaware of communities to changes in hazards characteristics from long term perspectives

• The traditional knowledge and practices are inadequate to respond to climate change and its impacts

• Need of Early Warning System as one of the strategies to strengthen the capacity of the communities for preparedness and response climate uncertainties

Establishment of Flood Early Warning System to Respond to Climate Change (rainfall and its effects)

Elements of Early Warning

Risk Assessment and Knowledge

Risk Monitoring and Warning

Communication and DisseminationResponding

Capacity

Participatory Risk Assessment • Review of Historic Timeline of Floods

- Affected communities and households- Level of flood at community site- Date and time of flood- Appraisal of Lives and Assets loss- Values of assets

• Visiting Upstream River Gauge Station- Tallying community record and record in gauge station (date

and time, level of river, etc.)- Estimating lead time

• Estimating lead time

• Setting warning levels- First warning- Second warning- Third warning

Monitoring and Warning of risk information to communities and stakeholders

River Gauge Station (Information Generation)

To Server by Telemetry

Key Stakeholders- CDO- Police- Red Cross- Local FM Radios- etc

Communities- Chair of VDMC- Task Force- Households

Internet

Telephone Internet

SMS

Building Capacity for Preparedness and Responses

- Identification and Improvement of evacuation routes

- Identification and Improvement of temporary shelters

- Establishing a community emergency centre – equipped with rescue equipment and materials

- Preparing community task forces for response

- Trainings to the communities

Scaling up and sustainability strategy

• Integrate the established EWS in to the existing government Development and DRR programmes

• Provide technical supports to both government and non-government organisations

• Influence policies and practices of government and non-government organisations

Three major challenges

• Sustainable and regular funding to Climate Change

• Institutional mechanism and arrangements for planning, implementing, monitoring, supervising climate change programmes and activities and

• Technical capacity for climate change programmes and activities

Source of Funding for the case

• The source of funding for this particular case is DIPECHO

• Most of the Climate Change and DRR actions are still project based

• Ensuring mainstreaming and regular funding to such initiatives are the challenges for sustainability

Some Efforts made

• Policy exists for Climate Change Fund. However institutional mechanism for management and utilisation of the fund yet to be materialised

• Policy also exists to spend 80% of climate finance at local level

• Budget code for climate change created for mainstreaming and it has to be implemented

• Community Level (Ward Level) Citizen Forums have been formed for planning, implementing, supervising and monitoring development activities. They need to be supported and linked up with National level funding and technical capacity development activities including climate change

Way Forward - Finance• Integrate Climate Change Adaptation and DRR plans into Development

Plans at local level (Community, Village Development Committee and District Development Committee) to connect to periodic/ traditional funding

• Establish Climate Change (and DRR) Fund at national level for supporting local adaptation plans in line with Climate Change Policy

• Mobilise the Climate Change Fund through local institutions (DDC, VDC and Community Institutions) including Non-governmental Organisations

• Ensure that Climate Change funding from international mechanisms and sources (UN Funds, Bi-lateral and Multilateral Funds) reaches the most vulnerable communities through Climate Change Fund and Mainstreaming / Integration at the local level plans and programmes

Way forward – Institutional and Legislation

• An overall fund management mechanism should be established at national level (probably) under Climate Change Council

• Develop local technical experts (at community, VDC and District Level) for planning, implementation and monitoring of Climate Change Adaptation and strengthen their capacity

• Establish technical support mechanism to local level from the central and district levels

Thank You