Enhanced Weather Services: Investing in Advanced Forecasting and Preparedness Strategies for Flooding

Enhanced Forecasting and Preparedness: Investing in Improved Weather Services

Sun or rn? The dly weather forecast provides us with the knowledge on what to wear or if we need an umbrella. However, for millions of people living in flood-prone areas, timely and accurate forecasts can significantly impact more than just clothing choices; they can minimize the disastrous impacts of floods.

Floods are among the most frequent and damaging natural disasters. Between 1980 and 2016, economic losses due to flooding exceeded $1.6 trillion globally, resulting in over 225,000 lives lost. With rapid urbanization and climate change exacerbating these impacts, the potential losses will likely rise, especially in fast-growing countries.

The Chinese proverb A single tree does not make a forest; a single string cannot make music underscores the value of combining water, weather, and climate studies. Hydrometeorological services hydromet help compreh, predict, and alert communities about imping hazards. For instance, early flood warnings provide ample time for evacuations to safer areas, protecting lives and assets.

This potential for smart technology's risk reduction agnst flooding was highlighted at the InterMet Asia Conference in Singapore, supported by the Urban Floods Community of Practice UFCOP. Bringing together public and private sector stakeholders, this conference showcased advanced tools, forecasting systems, and 'smart' solutions to tackle floods:

1. Cloud Computing Systems: For cost-effective weather forecasting through enhanced computational power. Cloud computing services such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud enable the use of multipleand computational resources without high upfront costs. This facilitates more accurate predictions, benefiting disaster preparation.

2. Internet of Things IoT: For more precise flood prediction and planning. IoT technologies collect real-time data from sensors, mobile devices, barometric pressure monitors, and dam alert syste inform short-term preparedness actions as well as long-term strategies agnst flooding.

3. Impact-Based Flood Forecasting: This approach assesses the likely scope and impact of a hazard, bridging the gap between information producers and users. It helps tlor warnings according to potential impacts on communities and infrastructure.

4. Enhanced Data Visualization using Virtual Reality VR: VR platforms can transform complex data into an immersive experience that ds understanding, facilitating better decision-making processes regarding disaster management.

Singapore exemplifies a global hydrohub with over 180 water companies and more than 20 research centers across the water value chn. The island nation, facing mounting threats from weather and climate extremes due to climate change, is significantly investing in national meteorological services while advancing regional weather and climate research.

The World Bank Group supports these eavors through its Hydromet Program alongside the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery GFDRR. Collaborating with regional teams, these initiatives m to strengthen institutions, observation networks, forecasting capabilities, and service delivery. Integrating new technologies, sharing knowledge, and fostering partnerships among public, private, and academic sectors are pivotal in enhancing weather services and disaster resilience.

The UFCOP is a global initiative led by the World Bank to share practical experiences and solutions for an integrated approach to urban flood risk management. This effort, jointly led by the World Bank's Social, Urban, Rural, Resiliency Development Platform SUR, GFDRR, WB Tokyo Development Learning Center TDLC, and other development partners, underscores a collective commitment towards resilience building.

Join the Conversation

Your name:

Your eml address: This field is kept private

Number of remning characters:

Agree to terms of Privacy Notice and consent to personal data processing for moderation purposes. Additionally, consent to sharing your name if your comment gets published.

Save

Eml this blog post

Share on social media

Added responses: 0

The World Bank Group respects the privacy of users and complies with all relevant laws regarding data protection and privacy.

Please visit our Privacy Notice page for more information about how we handle personal data, access to information policies, job opportunities, contact us options, reporting fraud or corruption incidents, as well as detls on IBRD, IDA, IFC, MIGA entities.

World Bank Group - All rights reserved 2024.

This update is designed to reflect a polished and improved version of the original text. The primary changes include streamlining sentence structures for clarity, enhancing the organization of information, rephrasing certn sections for better , and ensuring that all elements are formatted consistently in English.
This article is reproduced from: https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/eastasiapacific/better-forecast-better-preparedness-investing-in-improved-weather-services

Please indicate when reprinting from: https://www.58es.com/Weather_forecast/Enhanced_WF_Improvement_Investing_Better_Weather_Services.html