Background Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) uses powerful microwave technologies and has cloud-penetrating, all-day data acquisition capabilities through persistent rain and cloud cover, allowing regular mapping of floods in affected areas. Radar signals interact differently with the surface than other sensing systems, providing new information on the observed environment including applications in flood inundation and depth measurement. Floods impact tens of millions of people each year and cause significant infrastructure damage in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region. Improvements in estimating the flood extent and depth to communicate actionable information to those at-risk and to emergency responders have substantial lifesaving and monetary benefits. In this context, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks will be conducting this training, within the framework of ICIMOD’s SERVIR Hindu Kush Himalaya (SERVIR-HKH) initiative, and as part of the institutional capacity building efforts with the NASA’s SERVIR Applied Sciences Team. The training will cover a wide range of topics, including fundamentals of SAR remote sensing, OpenSARlab, flood extent and depth mapping algorithms and hands-on exercises. Objectives This training aims to provide theoretical and practical knowledge to professionals from Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal in using SAR data and its application to extract flood information. Expected Outcomes Upon completion of the training, participants will have a better understanding of the concepts and general applications of SAR data for flood mapping, enabling them to use the knowledge professionally and replicate it in their countries. Expected Participants A total of 20 professionals from HKH countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal with backgrounds in remote sensing and geographic information systems will be participating in this training. Resource persons and facilitators University of Alaska Fairbanks: Franz J Meyer NASA Marshall Space Flight Center: Andrew Molthan, Lori Schultz, Jordan Bell NASA Goddard Space Flight Center: Batuhan Osmanoglu, MinJeong Jo ICIMOD: Rajesh Thapa, Mir Matin, Karma Tsering, Birendra Bajracharya Agenda 26–29 January 2021. All timestamps are in NPT. Day 1 – Tuesday, 26 January 2021 Time Topic 07:00–10:00 Morning session (S1): Introduction Training overview and introduction of the participants – Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, ICIMOD An introduction to SAR as it pertains to flood mapping– Franz Meyer, UAF An introduction to the OpenSARLab (OSL)– Franz Meyer, UAF Hands-on exercises Visualize SAR time series over flood prone areas using Jupyter Notebooks and the OSL Day 2 – Wednesday, 27 January 2021 07:00–10:00 Morning session (S2): The HydroSAR algorithms and flood extent mapping Flood extent and flood depth mapping from SAR–The HydroSAR HYDRO30 and FD30 algorithms Hands-on exercises Flood extent mapping from SAR – Bangladesh 2017 and 2020 Monsoon flooding events Calibration/validation results of flood extent algorithm Q&A Day 3 – Thursday, 28 January 2021 19:00–22:00 Evening session (S3): Flood depth mapping and create your own data Homework discussion Hands-on exercises Flood depth mapping from SAR Flood Depth Cal/Val Results Create your own data stack using HyP3 Day 4 – Friday, 29 January 2021 07:00–10:00 Evening session (S3): Flood mapping on your own data stack Hands-on exercises Flood extent and depth mapping using your own data set Develop your own code in the OSL Closing discussion Downloadable resources Lecture 1: An introduction to SAR as it pertains to flood mapping Lecture 2: An introduction to the OpenSARLab (OSL) Lecture 3: Flood extent and flood depth mapping from SAR–The HydroSAR HYDRO30 and FD30 algorithms Lecture 4: Flood Depth Cal/Val Results Lecture 5: Flood extent and depth mapping using your own data set List of participants Download Recorded sessions Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Session 4 About SERVIR SERVIR connects space to village by helping developing countries use satellite data to address challenges in food security, water resources, weather and climate, land use, and natural disasters. A partnership of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and leading technical organizations, SERVIR develops innovative solutions to improve livelihoods and foster self-reliance in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. SERVIR Hindu Kush Himalaya ICIMOD implements the SERVIR Hindu Kush Himalaya (SERVIR-HKH) Initiative – one of five regional hubs of the SERVIR network – in its regional member countries, prioritizing activities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.