During a dedicated session on the social components of EWS, communicating risks, and community-based forecasting, participants from ICIMOD, Mercy Corps, Practical Action, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, and the World Food Programme shared operational experiences in engaging communities in flood EWS and disaster preparedness activities. The forum provided a platform to discuss the challenges associated with the development, implementation, dissemination, and sustained use of information services for water and weather-induced disasters. Possible recommendations to address these issues were also discussed. Participants recommended leveraging expertise across national boundaries, holding regular quorums at the regional level, training forecasters to generate user-friendly forecasts, and training media persons and communities in understanding technical concepts in forecasts. They also recommended engaging community networks and the private sector to relay early warning information to end users. A consultation workshop with partners followed the two-day event to discuss achievements and a way forward for early warning systems for flood and extreme weather events developed under SERVIR-HKH. About SERVIR SERVIR connects space to village by helping developing countries use satellite data to address challenges in food security, water resources, weather and climate, land use, and natural disasters. A partnership of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and leading technical organizations, SERVIR develops innovative solutions to improve livelihoods and foster self-reliance in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) implements the SERVIR Hindu Kush Himalaya (SERVIR-HKH) Initiative – one of five regional hubs of the SERVIR network – in its regional member countries, prioritizing activities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.
