Flood Early Warning Systems- Asian Disaster Management
Asian Disaster Management News, Volume 21 (2015), is a special issue of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center’s (ADPC) practitioner-focused newsletter, published under the theme “Building Resilience through Innovation and Partnerships.” Released in the year of the post-2015 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the issue makes the case for renewed investment in community-based early warning systems across the disaster-prone Asia-Pacific region.
The lead article by Atiq Kainan Ahmed maps the changing landscape of early warning systems using four practitioner-developed frameworks: the upstream techno-centric domain of hazard detection and forecasting; the downstream people-centric domain of warning dissemination and community response; the side stream of sectoral integration into agriculture, energy, health, and transport; and the emerging temporal stream linking climate change scenarios and long-range risk planning to early warning. Analytical tables document both the achievements and persistent gaps in each stream across the region since the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
Feature articles cover a range of country and thematic contexts. A case study from Semarang, Indonesia, documents ADPC’s technical support to local authorities in developing a flood forecasting and early warning system for the flood-prone Bringin River drainage sub-system, combining hydrological modeling, automated monitoring stations, community preparedness training, and multi-agency coordination. A piece on the Nepal Climate Data Portal describes how ADPC and partners developed an open-access web-based platform for historical and projected climate data, supporting disaster risk planners, scientists, and sector-specific policymakers. An article on disability-inclusive early warning highlights the significantly higher mortality rates of persons with disabilities during disasters in the Asia-Pacific, and describes ADPC’s work to develop inclusive guidelines covering accessible warning formats including sirens, electronic signage, radio, television, and volunteer networks. A perspective piece profiles Cambodia’s efforts to strengthen its national early warning and disaster management information systems with ADPC technical support.
The issue’s major analytical piece examines Typhoon Haiyan (November 2013) across seven dimensions — early warning system performance, climate change linkages, post-disaster information provision, shelter and infrastructure adequacy, community-based disaster risk reduction gaps, socio-economic vulnerability, and food security and livelihoods — drawing lessons for more integrated and risk-informed disaster management across the region.
Published by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Bangkok, Thailand.