Data to the rescue: Innovative approaches in disaster risk reduction and agriculture

March 29, 2018

Photo: Deepak KC/UNDP Nepal

Contributing to the installment of early-warning systems in disaster-prone areas and a novel mobile application designed for the benefits of farmers are some of the ways in which UNDP has embraced the potential of new technology in harnessing the power of information in its work

Early alerts

Facilitating innovations in early warning systems (EWS) comprise one of the cornerstones of UNDP’s support to the Government of Nepal in improving citizens’ preparedness with regard to disaster risk in the country, and reducing the toll of such events on life and property. For such EWS to be truly effective, adequate knowledge of risks and installment of well-equipped automatic weather stations to monitor climatic conditions—data from which is then analyzed and disseminated to intended recipients so that community response plans can be devised—are crucial components.

In line with this, and prompts from multiple instruments including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Act that emphasize heavily on strengthened EWS, UNDP has helped the Government establish more than 25 monitoring stations. These have been installed in places ranging from high-altitude areas—such as the Imja and Tsho Rolpa glacial lakes—to flood-prone rivers in lower altitudes such as Chitwan and Sindhupalchowk, among others.

Automatic sensors are set up at certain strategic points, and the data collected therein transferred to the district level. Once this happens, the role of different community mechanisms becomes vital in alerting/evacuating those most vulnerable. And the Government has been making use of mobile companies like NCell and Nepal Telecom to provide dynamic SMS services—where any person carrying a mobile phone will receive an alert SMS when s/he enters a flood-prone area—to effectively disseminate warnings to as many people as possible.

One example of such a system at work occurred in August of last year in Dhanusha when water levels in the Ratu River rose to dangerous levels thanks to heavy monsoon rainfall. Designated community caretakers of the EWS received a signal, and were charged with passing on the information to community-level taskforces and disaster-reduction committee members, who further disseminated the warning to people at risk using mobile phones, sirens, mikes and megaphones. This enabled vulnerable communities a window of over two hours during which to evacuate, thereby saving precious lives.

Krishi: A mobile app

Another instance of UNDP’s contribution to employing innovative technology in improved data collection and service provision comes in the form of the Krishi Ghar app, developed by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of Agriculture with technical support from UNDP under the Integrated Climate Risk Management Programme (ICRMP), and UKAid. The mobile app is designed to gather information on improved agricultural technologies, best practices and markets, among other aspects, from relevant sources and relay it to farmers, to help them boost their productivity.

Access to information is vital for people engaged in agricultural work, and updates on new seeds, cultivation and land preparation methods, and of course, climatic conditions, can mean the difference between a good and bad harvest. It was with this in mind that the Krishi app was conceptualized, as a bridge between service providers—such as the District Agriculture Development Offices, the Agriculture Information and Communication Centre, and Agriculture Directorates—and potential users of the information and expertise generated by these. And the information flow is not just one-way either. Farmers are also able to send any queries they might have to the related service providers and receive direct responses.

First introduced among farmers in Dolakha, efforts are underway to extend the initiative to Chitwan, Sindhupalchowk, Surkhet, Dhading, Syangja and Kavre. More than 200 farmers are already using the app in each of these districts.