Bangladesh: Backed by a new satellite observation system officials at Bangladesh’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) are confident of staying ahead of flood-related disasters in the country this summer. Every year, between March and September, monsoon rains and snow-fed rivers combine to inundate this deltaic country, resulting in damage to crops and property and loss of lives.
Experimental trials conducted last year by FFWC using data from the JASON-2 satellite — that was developed by SERVIR and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development — proved that an eight-day advance warning of floods was possible against the earlier three or four days. SERVIR (acronym for ‘to serve’ in Spanish), a collaboration between NASA, USAID, and regional partner institutions, provides earth observation data and geospatial technologies to developing countries to better manage climate risks and land use.
Source: Scidev
