An Overview of the South Asian Flash Flood Guidance System
- The South Asian Flash Flood Guidance System (SAsiaFFG) was launched by the India Meteorological Department.
- This is the first time India has launched Flash Flood Guidance services for itself and other South Asian countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
- The primary goal of the South Asian Flash flood System is to assist disaster management teams and governments in developing timely evacuation plans before a flooding event occurs.
- A dedicated FFGS centre will be set up in New Delhi to perform weather modelling and analyse rainfall data observations from member countries.
- The IMD will provide impact-based forecasting at the watershed and city levels for floods that occur suddenly and last for a short duration.
- The warning mechanism will operate as follows: Based on rainfall and potential flooding scenarios, flash flood warnings will be issued to the respective nations. Flash flood threat warnings will be issued six hours in advance, while flood risk warnings will be issued 24 hours in advance. Warnings at the watershed level will be issued 12 hours in advance.
For more information, refer to the Disaster Management in India page.
The South Asian Flash Flood Guidance System
The SAisaFFG, developed by the US-based Hydrologic Research Center (HRC), was discontinued after one and a half years of operation due to a lack of regional collaboration and cooperation to advance the regional implementation of the system. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and several South Asian countries highlighted the importance of the project and voiced their urgent need for such a warning system.
What are Flash Floods?
Flash floods are sudden, localized surges in water levels that occur during or after intense rainfall. These events are short-lived with a very high peak, usually occurring less than six hours between the rainfall and peak flood. The flood situation can worsen due to obstructed drainage lines or encroachments that block the natural flow of water.
For more information on Flood control and management , click the provided link.
Other related links:
What is IMD? The India Meteorological Department is a government agency responsible for all matters related to meteorology and related fields of study. Further details about the Indian Meteorological Department can be found on the linked page.
Why was the Indian Meteorological Department chosen for SAsiaFFG?
Recognizing the particularly disastrous impact of flash floods on the lives and property of affected populations, the Fifteenth WMO Congress approved the implementation of a Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) project with global coverage. The South Asia FFGS was developed by the WMO Commission for Hydrology in collaboration with others. Furthermore, the WMO has entrusted India with the responsibility of the Regional Centre of the South Asia Flash Flood Guidance System for coordination, development, and implementation. For more information on the World Meteorological Organisation , visit the provided link.
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Coverage of the South Asia FFGS
- With climate change, the frequency of extreme rainfall events has increased, making South Asia highly susceptible to flash floods.
- Forecasting flash floods is particularly challenging due to the event's propensity to occur within three to six hours and the high volume of water runoff.
- Data indicates that flash floods claim the lives of about 5,000 people worldwide each year. Despite this high mortality rate, a robust forecasting or warning system for flash floods has been lacking.
India's Role in the South Asia Flash Flood Guidance System
India's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Central Water Commission (CWC) have partnered to develop the SAsiaFFG system.
For further details, refer to the articles linked below-
India is a leading representative of nations, including Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal, in sharing hydrological and meteorological data towards preparing flash flood forecasts.
Candidates preparing for the UPSC exam must also keep abreast with the SAsiaFFG information. Questions on the South Asia Flash Flood Guidance System may appear in the prelims exam. Check out the important links for UPSC preparation-
- UPSC Calendar 2021
- UPSC Syllabus
Aspirants preparing for various government exams can use the links given below to aid in their preparation.
For a systematic approach to exam preparation, candidates can refer to the preparation strategies for competitive exams .
