Building Community-level Flood Early Warning Systems for Vulnerable Households

Overview

Climate change is escalating global flood risks, affecting one in every four people. This increases health and economic challenges, particularly in South Asia where 576 million people face flood risks. The Ganges-Brahmaputra River basin, which has 600 million residents and 200 million poor, is especially vulnerable. Even minor floods can impact millions in this region – between 2000 to 2010, floods caused 16,000 deaths, 200 million displacements, and 20 billion dollars in economic damages. Flood early warning systems (EWS) have the potential to reduce flood-related morbidities and economic losses, yet a range of last-mile delivery difficulties may affect their effectiveness. 

Findings

Early results from an ongoing study suggest that community-disseminated flood alerts were highly effective at reducing household losses from floods. 

• Accessibility: Households in areas with volunteers gain access to more accurate, timely, and informative alerts. 

• Proactive Preparation: Households with access to community-disseminated flood alerts who faced the most severe flooding were more likely to engage in protective actions before waters reached them. 

• Health resilience: Households with access to community-disseminated flood alerts who faced the most severe flooding experienced fewer health issues. 

• Economic stability: With better preparation and improved health outcomes, households with access to community-disseminated flood alerts who faced the most severe flooding were also less likely to engage in reactive adaptive responses after flooding.