Back to news
29 Jul 2015 | News

Early warning systems for Mahottari

1 min Read

70% Complete

Three community-based flood early warning systems (CB-FEWS) were installed at different sites along the Ratu River in Mahottari District in southern Nepal. The systems would alert locals to rising floodwater during the monsoon season and give them time to evacuate if necessary.

The installation took place from 26 June to 2 July under ICIMOD’s Koshi Basin Programme. ICIMOD partnered with Sustainable Eco Engineering (SEE) and Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM)/Community Based Flood and Glacial Lake Outburst Risk Reduction Project (CFGORRP) to select two installation sites in upstream locations along the river: Kalapani at Bahunmara and the Ratu River Bridge along the East-West Highway, 12 kilometers downstream from Kalapani. The third site is approximately 50 kilometers downstream from Kalapani at Auusi Khola in Sarpallo VDC.

At each site, the installation team worked with the local community members to assemble, calibrate, and test the three sensor rods in Ratu River and receivers in the houses of selected caretakers, individuals who are in charge of monitoring the devices. When floodwaters rise, the sensors send a message to the receiver on shore. The caretaker then informs downstream communities and relevant government institutions of the flood danger. During the installation, caretakers were requested to record flood event data. This data will be used to better understand flooding cycles in the district.

On 30 June, heavy rains caused water levels in Ratu River to rise. The systems successfully transmitted the message to the receivers, and warnings were relayed to downstream caretakers. The system will be field tested for at least two flood events to ensure its efficacy and accuracy. With successful operation, the information relayed will be able to provide downstream communities lead time to save lives and livelihoods from future flood disasters.

The installation of CB-FEWS in Mahottari District followed a five-day CB-FEWS training at ICIMOD’s Knowledge Park in early June. While ICIMOD and its partners are involved in the initial stages of CB-FEWS, the goal is to make CB-FEWS primarily community-operated. To this end, ICIMOD and DHM/CFGORRP are in the process of planning an awareness workshop in Mahottari District. The workshop, set to take place in the coming month, will train individuals on what to do in the event of a flood.

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

18 May 2015 News
ICIMOD evaluates the hazards of upper Langtang Valley

ICIMOD has spent the past three weeks collaborating with an international team of scientists to evaluate the hazards that contributed ...

Lemon farming introduced at International Biodiversity Day Bahundangi, Jhapa

Students, teachers and the local community celebrated International Biodiversity Day 2016 at Mechi Janasadharan Higher Secondary School, Bahundangi, Jhapa on ...

5 Apr 2016 News
China and ICIMOD’s Growing Alliance

Strategic Cooperation between NSFC and ICIMOD The bilateral workshop ‘NSFC-ICIMOD Strategic Cooperation’ was held 31 March - 1 April following a ...

14 Jun 2016 News
World Environment Day 2016

The WED 2016 campaign aims to raise awareness of the far-reaching nature of wildlife crime. The slogan for this year’s ...

25 May 2017 Himalica
High-level Bangladeshi Delegates visit Dabur Nepal’s Ashok Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Centre in Banepa

The Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh hold great promise for the production and commercialization of non-timber forest products such as ...

1 Sep 2017 News
Hands-on Training on Water Harvesting Technology, Bio-intensive Agriculture Farming System, and Enclosed Compositing

Water Harvesting Pond: Water harvesting ponds allow users to collect, store, and use run-off from available sources of water to ...

11 Jun 2015 News
Webinar on HIMALDOC

On 23 April 2015, Anil Kumar Jha, Information Resource Associate from ICIMOD, presented a Webinar on HIMALDOC: A one-stop portal for ...

8 Apr 2016 News
Landscape Journey in Myanmar

A multidisciplinary team was organised in the Mu Lar-Nam Ru watershed area of Putao district in Kachin, Myanmar late February ...