1. Early Warning – establishing last mile
connectivity: an experience from Nepal
Presented jointly by
Mercy Corps and Practical Action

2. Earlier days
• Indigenous knowledge and
traditional practices
– Looking at clouds
– Color and smell of water
– Animal’s behavior

3. 10 years down the line….
• Weather forecasting
– Max/min temperature
– Probability of occurrence of rainfall
– River data was available but not used for
forecasting purposes
• Glacier lake outburst information
• Tower based watch and warn system

4. 2006 onwards
• Improved tower based
watch and warn system
• River basin
systems linking
downstream
communities with
upstream river and
rainfall stations

5. 2006 onwards
• Lead time was identified in
piloted areas
• Alternative communication
and dissemination channel
both at district and
community level was
formulated to reach the
last mile in pilot areas
• Strengthen coordination
with district authorities,
DHM and other
stakeholders

6. Current stage of EWS in Nepal
• Communities, local, district and national
authorities started recognizing EWS as a key
component for DRR
• EWS incorporated
in local, district, and
national level
Disaster
management plans

7. Current stage of EWS in Nepal …
• Government authorities have taken lead to
draft National Strategy for Early Warning of
Natural Disasters in Nepal
• DHM has actively
contributed to
develop EWS
training manual

8. Current stage of EWS in Nepal …
• Feasibility study for establishing more river
gauge stations by DHM
• Extension and
expansion of
telemetric system
• Web based flood
warning services is
available at
www.hydrology.gov.np

9. Current stage of EWS in Nepal …
• SMS services in piloted
areas
• Media engagement in
warning services through
local FM stations
• Communities proactively
accessing information
from upstream gauging
stations

10. Real time experience in 2010
• 19/20 July 2010 flood in Banke
• 24 August 2010 flood in Chitwan
DHM role
- On time warning service through phone, SMS to
district authorities, communities and media
District level
- District authority called for an emergency meeting
- Security forces at alert
- Started preparing for response by checking stocks
and resources for response

12. Real time experience in 2010 …
Community level
- Used hand-operated siren
and megaphones to ensure
last mile connectivity
- EWS task forces mobilized
community for safe
evacuation
- Continued coordination with
security personnel, district
authorities and gauge
readers at the upstream

13. EWS coverage in Nepal
Number of river systems with gauge station 37
Number of meteorological stations 281
Number of district covered 12
Number of district level EWS committee 7
Number of VDC covered 98
Number of people trained in EWS 632
Number of CBEWS established 124
Number of EWS task forces 75
Material provided to the community for EWS
-Siren
-Hand-mike
-CDMA phone
74
129
46

14. EWS coverage in Nepal

15. EWS joint activities by
DIPECHO partners
• Field testing of EWS
training manual with
all DIPECHO
partners
• Implementation of
EWS component by
Action Aid Nepal,
CARE Nepal, Oxfam
• EWS users’
workshop

16. Major challenges
• Functional Disaster Management authority and
platform in Nepal
• Delay in adaptation of draft EWS strategy due to
political vacuum
• Keeping community level EWS committee alive in
case of less frequent disastrous event
• Last mile
connectivity
throughout the
country
• Multi-hazard EWS
approach

17. Ways forward
• Replication of CBEWS in other river basin areas
• Piloting EWS for other hazards
• Technical capabilities
• Advocacy and lobbying with government authorities
and other stakeholders
• Collaboration with DHM and other government
departments for wider coverage and
institutionalization
• Guideline for district and community authorities for
establishment of community managed EWS

18. Food for thought
• What should be the advocacy strategy for
ensuring last mile connectivity throughout the
country?
• How to keep community level EWS committee
alive in case of less frequent disastrous events?
• How to incorporate multi-hazard approach
effectively in existing EWS?
• How to link next communities situated crossed the
border facing same disasters