Himalayan Storm Watchers Save Lives
A recent Esri blog features advances made by ICIMOD towards improved disaster management, early warning and response in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region.
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A recent Esri blog features advances made by ICIMOD towards improved disaster management, early warning and response in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region.
The timing and onset of rainfall is crucial for hundreds of thousands of farmers in the developing world when sowing, fertilizing and harvesting crops.
The ability to transform data into actionable information and obtain easily accessible, analysis-ready Earth observation (EO) data is often a critical missing link for decision makers in the developing world.
Cyclone Idai left more than 1,000 people dead and thousands more missing, potentially affecting millions in Southern Africa. As emergency response and recovery efforts continue, another disaster is likely unfolding elsewhere on the continent: Idai pulled precipitation South, away from Eastern Africa, resulting in persistent dry conditions affecting crops at the start of the main growing season.
ICIMOD, under its SERVIR-Hindu Kush Himalaya (SERVIR-HKH) and Climate Services for Resilient Development (CSRD) Initiatives, is collaborating with technical organizations in the United States and meteorological and agricultural institutions in the HKH to establish a regional agricultural drought monitoring and early warning system.
The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is no stranger to water- and weather-induced hazards. Every year, these disasters result in loss of lives, livelihoods, and damage to infrastructure throughout HKH countries.
SERVIR-HKH has developed the Air Quality Explorer for the HKH using freely available satellite data and the Google Earth Engine platform. The application allows visualization of three atmospheric parameters — nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) — for any chosen period and location.
The SERVIR program, launched in 2005, connects NASA, U.S. researchers, a network of development partners around the world, and companies like Google to harness the power of satellite observations — helping countries see, with greater clarity, how their environments affect well-being and safety.
SERVIR AST member Doug Morton discusses the upcoming fire season in Amazonia in a new NASA article.
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has been implementing the SERVIR-HKH Initiative — one of five regional hubs of the SERVIR network — in its Regional Member Countries, prioritizing capacity building and science activities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.