This site uses cookies, as explained in our terms of use. If you consent, please close this message and continue to use this site.

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
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

8 Oct 2015 News
Putting Disaster Risk Management in the Hindu Kush Himalayas within the Sendai Framework

Introduction The spate of deadly disasters in the past 10 years stands testimony to the region’s vulnerability, especially that of isolated ...

29 Jul 2015 News
Springshed development in the Himalayas discussed

With the aim to raise the importance of springshed management and bring visibility and outreach on spring and ground water ...

11 Apr 2016 Gender in Koshi
Water, Women and Livelihood Improvement

Water is the lifeblood of every household in Nepal's middle hills, but accessing it is a challenge. Hill hamlets depend ...

22 Sep 2015 Kangchenjunga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative
National Partners trained on Participatory Ecosystem Based Planning and Management

ICIMOD, in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Division (WCD) of Department of Forest and Park Services (DoFPS), Bhutan, organised a seven-day ...

8 Mar 2018 Gender in Koshi
Women and Fieldwork: Reclaiming public spaces and transgressing curfews

Women’s Day brings into focus women situated at various intersections of class, age, caste, race, education, culture, and geographical location. ...

19 Dec 2016 News
ICIMOD partner receives award for Resilient Mountain Village

The Center for Environment and Agricultural Policy Research, Extension and Development (CEAPRED) received the Adaptation at Scale Prize, Protsahan ...

18 Apr 2017 GIS and remote sensing
Lessons Learnt from Training on Mapping and Monitoring Glaciers using RS and GIS at ICIMOD

The participants came from the National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM), Bhutan; Karakoram International University (KIU), Pakistan; the Department ...

27 Jan 2016 News
R software Training Makes for Better Data Analysis

Twenty-one participants attended a four-day training “Introduction to Data Analysis with R” organised by the Cryosphere initiative of the International ...