Events

Organizer: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)

About the training

We are organising a training of trainers (ToT) workshop on the use of Earth observation (EO), geospatial information technology (GIT), and ICIMOD science applications for key professionals working on disaster preparedness in Nepal.

Effective risk reduction and resilience strategies ensure that relevant actors can anticipate adverse events before they occur and take proactive actions to alleviate consequences. Recognising the need to enhance such capability in the region, our SERVIR-HKH Initiative, collaborates with the NASA SERVIR Applied Sciences Team to develop science applications that assist in forecasting high-impact weather events, flash floods and floods in river networks in the HKH region. These applications provide information that is a significant improvement over current deterministic forecasting systems and are, therefore, more reliable, and actionable. These applications are maintained on an open-access web portal for public use and feedback, and we regularly engage relevant stakeholders in capacity development activities.

Objective

The overall objective of this five-day ToT workshop is to strengthen the capacity of key professionals working in disaster preparedness on the use of EO, GIT, and ICIMOD science applications and enable them to transfer the knowledge to other users.

Specifically, the workshop will focus on:

• Concepts and applications of Earth observation and geospatial information technology
• High-Impact Weather Assessment Tool (HIWAT)
• Streamflow Prediction Tool for Nepal, which provides 10-day streamflow forecasts based on downscaled global forecasts (ECMWF)
• Flash Flood Prediction Tool for Nepal (earlier referred to as the HIWAT Streamflow Prediction Tool), which provides 48-hour flood forecasts resulting from localised extreme weather phenomena

Expected outcomes

Upon completion of the training, the participants will have a better understanding of remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) concepts, and our science applications for use around disasters – floods, lightning strikes, high impact winds, high rainfall rates, hail, and other weather events.

It is also expected that the participants will be able to transfer the knowledge gained at the workshop to their users/partners.

Expected participants

Fifteen nominated officers from the Armed Police Force (APF), Nepal who participated in our earlier orientation training at the APF Disaster Management Training School (DMTS), are expected to join the training.

Resource persons

Background

Sustainable water management and reducing risks from natural hazards such as floods are major concerns for countries in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, including Nepal. Confronted with limited knowledge and scarce resources, mountain-specific solutions for water-related problems have remained rather tenuous and generally ineffective.

Our SERVIR-HKH Initiative, a partnership between USAID, NASA and ICIMOD, has developed several science applications – decision support tools and services – to contribute to effective, evidence-based decision-making processes by governments, communities, and individuals using scientific data, Earth observation information, and geospatial information technologies. These science applications respond to the areas of disaster, natural resources, agriculture, environment, and climate change.

• Day 1

  Time	Topic
  09:00–10:00	Opening session (S1)
  	Registration (15 min) – ICIMOD/DMTS Training overview and introduction of the participants (15 min) – Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, ICIMOD Connecting space to village: SERVIR efforts (15 min) – Birendra Bajracharya, ICIMOD Remarks from Chief Guest (5 min) – Kumar Neupane, Deputy Inspector General, APF, Nepal  Welcome remarks (5 min) – Shekhar Ghimire, Director of Administration and Finance, ICIMOD
  10:00–10:30	Group photo and break
  10:30–12:30	Morning session (S2)
  	Pre-training assessment (15 min) – Poonam Tripathi, ICIMOD GIS concepts and applications (60 min) – Poonam Tripathi, ICIMOD Demonstration of GIS and RS data access (45 min) – Sudip Pradhan, ICIMOD
  12:30–13:30	Lunch break
  13:30–17:00	Afternoon session (S3)
  	Installation of software Hands-on exercises – Poonam Tripathi and Sajana Maharjan, ICIMOD Vector data exploration and visualization in QGIS Working with vector data, layer properties, projection, symbology, label tool, etc.
  15:00–15:30	Break
  	Hands-on exercises – session continued Using vector geometry tool to calculate area, field calculator, joining attributes Exploring geoprocessing tools Using query builder to perform queries

• Day 2

  Time	Topic
  09:00–12:30	Morning session (S4)
  	Reflections on the previous day (30 min) – Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, ICIMOD Remote sensing concepts and applications (60 min) – Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, ICIMOD
  10:30 – 11:00	Break
  	Hands-on exercises – Poonam Tripathi and Sunil Thapa, ICIMOD Exploration and analysis of raster data in QGIS, visualization, merging, clipping Raster data for topographic analysis – digital elevation model (DEM), slope, aspect, relief, etc.
  12:30–13:30	Lunch break
  13:30–17:00	Afternoon session (S5)
  	Hands-on exercises – session continued Satellite data visualization and interpretation in QGIS/Google Earth Creating vector data
  15:00–15:30	Break
  	Updating existing vector data Cartography: map making for emergency response

• Day 3

  Time	Topic
  09:00–12:30	Morning session (S6)
  	Reflections on the previous day (30 min) – Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, ICIMOD Basic concepts on hydrology and satellite-based precipitation data (60 min) – Manish Shrestha, ICIMOD
  10:30–11:00	Break
  	Open Street Map (OSM) – Deepak Shah, ICIMOD Hands-on exercise: Orientation and use of settlements data
  12:30–13:30	Lunch break
  13:30–17:00	Afternoon session (S7)
  	Hands-on exercise: HIWAT and interpretation of weather forecasts – Kiran Shakya, ICIMOD
  15:00–15:30	Break
  	Hands-on exercise – session continued

• Day 4

  Time	Topic
  09:00– 12:30	Morning session (S8)
  	Reflections on the previous day (30 min) – Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, ICIMOD Hands-on exercise: The Streamflow Prediction Tool and interpretation of streamflow forecasts – Manish Shrestha, ICIMOD
  10:30–11:00	Break
  	Understanding digital elevation model and its hydrological application – Kiran Shakya, ICIMOD Hands-on exercise: Flood inundation depth estimation
  12:30–13:30	Lunch break
  13:30–17:00	Afternoon session (S9)
  	Group formation – Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, ICIMOD Problem identification for each province
  15:00–15:30	Break
  	Participants working with subject matter experts (SMEs)

• Day 5

  Time	Topic
  09:00–12:30	Morning session (S10)
  	Reflections on the previous day (30 min) – Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, ICIMOD Participants working with SMEs
  10:30–11:00	Break
  	Participants working with SMEs
  12:30–13:30	Lunch break
  13:30–17:00	Afternoon session (S11)
  	Participants working with SMEs
  15:00–15:30	Break
  	Presentation from participant – group leads Post-training assessment (20 min) – Poonam Tripathi, ICIMOD
  16:30–17:00	Closing session (S12)
  	Reflections from the participants (10 min) Certificate distribution – Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, ICIMOD Guest remarks(5 min) – Kalidas Dhaubaji, Deputy Inspector General, APF, Nepal Closing address (5 min) – Basanta Shrestha, Director of Strategic Cooperation, ICIMOD  Way forward and vote of thanks (5 min) – Birendra Bajracharya, ICIMOD