Zurich Flood Resilience Programme - Gauge Reader
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Authors
Jodi Sugden
Issue Date
2016-03
Type
Language
en
Keywords
Disasters
Alternative Title
Abstract
Practical Action is proud to be a member of the 'Global Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance', which aims to save the lives and livelihoods of the most poor by preventing floods from becoming disasters. The Insurance firm Zurich has brought together a wide and diverse range of organisations and experts with the aim over 5 years to enhance flood resilience in 15 communities in at least three countries and directly improve the livelihood of 100,000 individuals. The alliance aims to become global leaders in enhancing community resilience to floods both in terms of technical knowledge and practice. Practical Action provides technical innovation on the ground in challenging environments, as well as the mechanisms for sharing learning from those innovations. We also have a robust track record in disaster preparedness activities. Our involvement will therefore help to strengthen and refine the alliance and its ability to support vulnerable communities. Our approach is guided by our Vulnerability to Resistance framework. This framework sets out key factors that contribute to peoples' vulnerability: exposure to hazards and stresses; fragile livelihoods; future uncertainty; and weak governance. It provides detailed explanations of the linkages between these factors as well as ideas for action to strengthen resilience. In the village of Chisapani, Nepal, the river level is monitored at the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) gauge station, where the Karnali River enters the Terai plains. Manual and automatic monitoring adds reliability and redundancy if one method fails. Manual readings are taken by the gauge reader, three times daily under normal conditions, and every hour once the river level exceeds 9 metres. This is supported by automatic radar readings relayed by internet directly to the DHM. In Karnali this system gives downstream communities around three to five hours’ lead time to move themselves, any community members that need assistance, and as many livestock and belongings as they can to a safe location. All communities report that loss of human life and belongings has greatly reduced since the Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) was implemented.
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