Flood Warning System Strengthened in Pakistan
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Government
The government of Japan and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) will implement a project worth US $4.05 million to further improve flood warning and management capacity of the government of Pakistan.
An agreement formalising this commitment was signed here on Tuesday in the presence of Kazuyuki Nakane, parliamentary vice-minister for foreign affairs of Japan, Takashi Katae, chargés d'affaires ad interim of Japan to Pakistan, and Mitsuyoshi Kawasaki, chief representative of JICA Pakistan Office. The agreement was signed with Vibeke Jensen, representative of Unesco in Islamabad.
The project is the second phase of the earlier project implemented by Unesco with the financial assistance of Japan. In the first project, flood forecasting systems using satellite technology, the Integrated Flood Analysis System (IFAS) and the Runoff-Inundation model (RRI model), have been successfully developed for the upper and lower catchment of the Indus River.
More than 39 districts are now being covered with the flood forecasting and early warning system of IFAS, and more than 53 million residents in 32 districts located in the lower Indus river basin are now served with the new flood hazard maps generated by the RRI model. However, the Eastern Rivers are yet to be covered by IFAS and the RRI model; and the accuracy of IFAS should be further increased.
The government of Japan therefore decided to conduct the second project in collaboration with UNESCO and the Pakistan for further improvement of the early warning system. This project will contribute to enhancing the reliability and accuracy of IFAS as well as expanding the coverage of IFAS and RRI model to Eastern Rivers. In addition, JICA and Unesco plan to promote sharing of flood forecasting information among Pakistan and its neighbouring countries, especially Afghanistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Kazuyuki Nakane expressed hope that this project would contribute to protecting more lives and properties from future floods. He reaffirmed Japan's commitment to help Pakistan become more resilient to future natural disasters. Referring to the "Third UN World Conference on Disaster Management" to be held in Sendai, Japan, from March 14 to 18, 2015, he said, "We will work together with international society including Pakistan to reduce the number of people suffering from natural disasters as much as possible."
Media
Taxonomy
- Flood Management
- Flood Modeling
- Hydrology
- Flood prediction
4 Comments
-
Dear All,
The warning system is very good in essence, but as a short term measure for saving lives to certain extent. Warning systems are very very vital for tsunamis though, as the root cause of tsunamis is beyond of humans control. But the root causes of villages and city flooding are well know and could be addressed. Rivers dredging, however, having environmental consequences; but has to be carried out, at least when rivers are flowing through villages and cities, providing more flowing capacities into the river basements. Two good articles are there in Wikipedia: Search for "River Engineering" and "River Dredging," then you will find out that saving lives properties, and infrastructures, in the flood prone countries needs more hard ware projects, in addition to the soft wares ones; that is to say the adaptation of alarming systems; I wonder how elderly peoples, sick ones, invalids; and also animals could have an immediate response to the alarming systems!
Best regards,
Mashallah Ali-Ahyaie -
Dear All,
Yes if everything goes right and the alarm is noticed by all; then the saved lives will be witnessing how their properties are gone by the cruel roaring current, from places above the flood line, here and there. After the flood aftermath, another catastrophe will be the efficiency of delivering aids to the poor victims.
The following is my sentiment on the city flooding, posted on Linked-in and elsewhere, few years back;
==="Revenging Rain Drops"
Every drop of rain, wants its final abode, as destined;
touching the ground, not on the impermeable asphalt or concrete slabs.
It wants to reach its destination;
penetrating deep into soil, for further services to mankind,
But when blocked by asphalt and concrete slabs, it gets angry and mad.
Suddenly becomes a revenging drop, not a graceful one.
Revenging drops unite together, making tiny streams.
Tiny streams together, make small streams;
and small streams unite and make a calm river roaring,
Roaring rivers merge into a bigger river, passing through a poor city.
Now, the united revenging rain drops witness the result of their revenge:
A catastrophic flood, sometimes at the middle of the night.
The poor inhabitants are now the victims of their fellow inhabitants;
of now, and the past, developing their city;
while ignoring every drop of rain, to convey its grace from the Almighty God:Abiding deep into soil, for further grace to mankind.
===
In a nutshell, only providing alarming network is not enough, unless the adaptation of watershed management on the cities' hinterlands, rainwater harvesting measures on premises and public buildings, along with zero runoff and storm water control measures on the urban areas are in place.
Best regards,
Mashallah Ali-Ahyaie
-
Alas though! Why not just eliminate the causes of floods? Flood warning systems, for sure saves lives to certain extent, but the adaptation of watershed management, storm water control and zero runoff from premises will be saving both many lives and properties as well. Please kindly note the following discussions, as examples:
====
https://www.linkedin.com/grp/post/855897-5951674489702993923
==="CONVERTING CHECK-DAMS INTO SPRINGS, FED BY THE HARVESTED RAINWATER RUNOFF FROM HILL SIDES, ON THE HINTER LANDS; ON THE CITY ENVIRONS, ON RAVINES; ONE MAY NAME IT “HOOMAN-MASHALLAH SPRING.”"
===
https://www.linkedin.com/grp/post/855897-5996609044566065156
===
IT IS THE EARTH DAY AGAIN TODAY, ON Wednesday, April 22. A PRACTICE TO BE APPLIED ON THE EARTH DAY AS A GRATITUDE AND THE COMPENSATION FOR TECHNOLOGY-CAUSED MALADIES; NAMELY MITIGATING THE HARSH EFFECT OF THE EXISTING IMPERVIOUS PAVEMENTS VIA DRY-WELL CONSTRUCTION, WHEREVER APPROPRIATE AND TECHNICALLY JUSTIFIED.
===
Mashallah Ali-Ahyaie -
Great! If the same model is developed in other parts of the world (especially the flood prone areas) could save many lives.