Regional Hands-on Training on Community Based Flood Early Warning System (CBFEWS)

Background

CBFEWS is an integrated system of tools and plans to detect and respond to flood emergencies that are prepared and managed by the communities themselves. However, at the beginning, it is essential to sensitize concerned people about such tools and plans. As a flood detecting device, ICIMOD designed an instrument that detects rising water levels automatically and transmits flood signals to the receiving units placed at the caretaker’s house through wireless and telemetry based technology. This was initiated during the flash flood project in 2008 and the technology is enhanced to the present stage by conducting research and development with Sustainable Eco Engineering (SEE) at ICIMOD’s Godavari Knowledge Park. Once the flood warning is received by the care taker, it is then disseminated via telephone or mobile phone to concerned agencies and vulnerable communities downstream. In order to install the equipment and conduct repair and maintenance at the local level, this 4-day regional hands-on training is being conducted to support in installing and handling the device. Besides, it is also important to develop reliable and efficient communication networks between caretakers and concerned agencies and communities to disseminate flood warnings.

CBFEWS is implemented in Assam, India, with support from the governments of Norway and Sweden; in the Indus Basin, Pakistan, and the Koshi Basin, Nepal, with the support from the Sustainable Development Investment Portfolio supported by the Australian Aid programme; and in Baghlan, Afghanistan, with the support from ICIMOD core donors. ICIMOD gratefully acknowledges the support of its core donors: the Governments of Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Norway, Pakistan, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

ICIMOD will continue to provide this training if further demanded by partners or other interested parties in future.

Objectives

The main objective of the training is to provide comprehensive technical and theoretical knowledge about CBFEWS.

Course Description

A four-day course is designed to enhance the capacity of participants and familiarize them with the concept of community-based flood risk management. The course will provide technical know-how as well as conceptual knowledge about the use of flood early warning device designed by ICIMOD with support from SEE. The course will be specially designed as “Learning by Doing” so that the participants will get an opportunity to practically deal with the instruments individually and practice to install.

Participants

The training will have around 20 participants from 4 countries namely India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal. The hands-on training is designed for those who directly work on the ground for the implementation of the project, which includes care takers, immediate recipient of the information in the vulnerable community, representatives of the local government line agency who will be directly involved in this activity and representative from local partner organization who will be involved in this activity.