Improve flood forecasting to protect Dhaka

Speakers at a workshop yesterday emphasised on improving the flood-forecasting models for Dhaka city to better prepare for such incidents.

They said a better urban-flood forecasting system will lessen the suffering of city dwellers, prevent damage to private and public property, and lower the cost of maintaining service infrastructure.

The dissemination workshop titled "Capacity Development for Enhanced Flood Forecasting and Warning Service of Bangladesh" was organised by Institute of Water Modelling (IWM), in association with Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), at the capital's Brac Centre Inn.

Speakers highlighted that BWDB's current flood-forecasting system only offers forecasting and warning at a number of stations around Dhaka city.

With an improved forecasting model, the city's drainage-management authorities (city corporations, BWDB) could take necessary initiatives to manage drainage systems in advance of an extreme storm.

A better urban-flood forecasting system will lessen the suffering of city dwellers, prevent damage to private and public property, and lower the cost of maintaining service infrastructure.

With a goal to improve the capacity of flood forecasting and warning services in Bangladesh, the workshop brought together all kinds of stakeholders, including experts and officials, from a variety of fields related to flood forecasting and warning services.

Presided over by Zahirul Haque Khan, executive director of IWM, the workshop was addressed, among others, by Nazmul Ahsan, secretary at water resources ministry; Anders Karlsen, deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Denmark in Bangladesh; Nurul Islam Sarker, director general of BWBD; and Muhammad Amirul Haque Bhuiyan, additional director general (planning) of BWDB.