Bangladesh – Community Flood Monitoring and Forecasting (OFDA)

The Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna Rivers in India and Bangladesh are some of the most flood-prone river systems in the world. Excessive floods present serious risks to the millions of people living in the floodplains. In a normal year an estimated 25 percent of Bangladesh is flooded, and in an excessive flood year, up to 65 percent of the country is flooded. Despite this constant and pervasive flooding, Bangladesh does not have an effective system for providing useful flood forecasts or other flood warning information at the community level. The present system of government-issued flood warnings are presented in both a context and a format that are neither understood nor usable by the floodplain inhabitants.

Under funding from USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, Riverside Technology, inc. (RTi) is working with Bangladesh’s Center for Environment and Geographic Information Support, and the Bangladesh Disaster Preparedness Center, to reduce future vulnerability to flood damage in Bangladesh’s flood plains. This five-year project began in 2002 and builds on previous research and development experience. The project will develop an operational system that provides accurate and timely information on current and forecasted flood conditions for a part of Bangladesh’s floodplain. The information will be disseminated to the local government and communities in a format that is understood and useful for flood mitigation at the community level. Replication of the system will be sought for larger floodplain areas through demonstration and awareness-building exercises for other flood-prone communities, government agencies, and potential development partners.

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