Early warning systems can help reduce or eliminate death tolls from severe weather events. A Nepalese model recently prevented fatalities after the Kosi River burst its banks. DW writer cathedavison explains how it works and how it can be improved.
Dhurva Prasad Koirala, who lives in Belaka Municipality's Bhagalpur village near the spot where the river Kosi burst its banks, was expecting a knock on his door in the early hours of the morning, instructing him to evacuate his home.
Real-time data was published on a government online portal and disseminated to the local community via radio, SMS messages and social media. Poorly planned development projects in the fragile Himalayan region are also putting the country at increasing risk, according to Dharam Uprety from NGO Practical Action Nepal.
Whilst data collection is important, ensuring that the information reaches the people who need it — and understand how to respond appropriately — is also an essential component of an effective early warning system, according to Marco Toscano-Rivalta, who heads the regional UNDRR office for Asia and the Pacific.Heavy rains devastate communities in Kentucky, USA
East Africa is experiencing one of the worst droughts in decades. It started last year and is still ongoing after a fourth season of failed rains. Up to 20 million people are now at risk of severe hunger. Scientists say the decline in the spring rainy season, which is tied to warmer waters in the Indian Ocean, causes rains to fall rapidly over the ocean before reaching land.
Uprety said that in addition to flash floods, there is no early warning system for landslides, which in fragile mountainous regions often occur amid sudden heavy downpours during the monsoon season.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Gastkommentar: Ein Militärmanöver und die Abhängigkeiten von Russland und China | DW | 31.08.2022GASTKOMMENTAR: Die chinesisch-russische Annäherung betreffe auch Europa und Deutschland unmittelbar, schreibt DW-Gastautor Jörg Himmelreich (ESCP_bs ) und warnt vor Abhängigkeiten deutscher Unternehmen in China.
Read more »
Meinung: Das 9-Euro-Ticket ist nicht vorbei | DW | 31.08.2022MEINUNG: 'Der Staat kann sehr wohl etwas tun, wenn er will. Und wenn er seine gestalterische Macht einsetzt, wird die Krise insbesondere für Leute mit kleinerem Geldbeutel wieder übersichtlicher', so DW-Autor Mathis Richtmann (nullnein). 9EuroTicket
Read more »