Back to news
2 Jan 2015 | News

Promoting regional efforts to reduce flood vulnerabilities

ICIMOD, in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), organized the eighth Regional Steering Committee (RSC) meeting for the HKH-HYCOS project.

1 min Read

70% Complete
Inauguration of the newly established FABKA secretariat in Kathmandu. ICIMOD, 2019.

This final SRC meeting of the current phase was held from 22 to 24 September 2014 at the ICIMOD headquarters in Kathmandu. Participants from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan as well as the WMO, Government of Finland, Finnish Meteorological Institute, ICIMOD, and international experts reviewed the project progress and endorsed a project proposal for the next phase, focusing on delivering lifesaving flood warning messages to vulnerable communities.

The HKH-HYCOS project is working to establish a regional flood information system in the HKH region in close collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the six regional partner countries namely, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. More specifically, the project seeks to reduce flood vulnerability in the Indus and Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river basins by minimizing loss of lives and livelihoods. To that end, it works to strengthen regional cooperation for sharing flood data and information among the member countries. The project is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Finland

1. Participants of 8th Regional Steering Committee Meeting for the HKH-HYCOS project
The project has upgraded 37 hydromet stations in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan. These stations can now automatically observe rainfall and water level measurements. The project has established web-based regional and national flood information systems for sharing real-time data and information for reducing risks. The project is also piloting a regional flood outlook model using Mike 11 hydrological software. Apart from real-time hydromet data from the 37 stations upgraded by the project, freely available rainfall forecast data is being inputted into the flood outlook model to add value and improve accuracy of the model. In order to sustain the initiative, the project has focused heavily on enhancing partner organizations’ technical capacity in flood forecasting and communication, and sought public private partnerships, especially with telecom operators, for disaster risk reduction.
In view of the imminent funding shortage between the end of the current phase and the next phase, RSC members have committed to supporting some of the project activities through their national budget.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

RELATED CONTENTS

Continue exploring this topic

20 Dec 2019 REEECH
Renewable energy solutions for enterprise development in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) have ...

10 Sep 2017 News
Pakistani Officials Support Early Flood Warning System Implementation in Gilgit Baltistan

To manage hazards in the region, World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Pakistan and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), with ...

25 May 2015 News
ICIMOD to lead SAARC CCI’s climate-related activities

Participants from ICIMOD attended the 62nd Executive Committee and 20th General Assembly of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Chamber ...

25 May 2016 Himalica
Pilot Village Bee Farmers from Bhutan and Nepal Learn about Honeybee Management

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) conducted a hands-on beekeeping training for Apis cerana bee entrepreneurs from Bhutan ...

Participatory GIS for building community resilience

Over the years, the approach to natural disasters has changed from response and relief to risk reduction, with policy focusing ...

22 May 2015 News
Team Kathmandu inspires

‘Tracking and Sensing through Android Robotics’ from Kathmandu’s 2015 NASA SpaceApps Challenge was named the 'Most Inspirational' in Global Competition ...

21 Feb 2018 KSL
Manual on Planning Management for Ecosystem Services Launched

The operations manual can be of use in most terrestrial environments of the world. Its purpose is to include ecosystem ...