Page 98 - Mapping the Nation: Taking Climate Action

97 Poised for Prevention In the past, disaster management focused on response and relief. As location technology evolves, it makes more types of analysis possible—analysis that mitigates and reduces risk. Now ICIMOD is working to provide people with real-time warnings and disaster preparedness planning. The organization applies location intelligence software and professional support from Esri to produce large-scale maps that integrate data on natural resources, lifestyle, and economic factors. These maps show details such as watershed boundaries for each Himalayan village, so locals can avoid building houses in high-risk areas. ICIMOD works with local communities and officials to show how these maps can help estimate loss and damage and address infrastructure needs. It also uses the data to create scenario assessments for future community planning. Over time, the maps and data help chart monsoon flood progressions and patterns. At the regional level, ICIMOD uses location technology to examine agricultural land and methods. It deploys all its map-enabled applications through the Mountain GeoPortal, which aggregates many datasets related to sustainable development. "We have been active in creating land-cover maps for different countries of the Hindu Kush," Pradhan said. "We created these datasets for 1990, 2000, and 2010. This allowed us to build a visualization application to see changes in forests, agriculture, and other land-cover types." Disaster Response When monsoons hammer the Himalayas, ICIMOD provides environmental and population data to aid organizations. In 2017, the organization's flood inundation data helped the World Food Program (WFP) Nepal respond to severe flash floods and landslides that hit 35 districts. "The WFP needed to know the exact inundation areas so they could reach affected villages faster," Pradhan said. "Through a mapping interface and by providing corresponding datasets, we helped WFP Nepal and other national agencies distribute food and aid." The deluge triggered a humanitarian crisis, displacing thousands of villagers, destroying houses, and halting agricultural production. Floods also compromised food security and blocked access to basic health and sanitation services. ICIMOD's mapping interface focused relief efforts by combining data with satellite imagery. "Our maps visually defined each district and allowed all stakeholders to calculate the number of people that would need sustained aid," Pradhan said. Foundational Awareness It's not easy to develop and maintain land in the rugged, remote Himalayan region. Data in the HKH region was often old, siloed, and inaccessible. Mountains—particularly the tallest mountains in the world—aren't the most conducive environments to conduct land surveys. At its creation more than 30 years ago, ICIMOD promoted regional database sharing, development, and standardization. The goal was to facilitate collaboration across governments and with external agencies. Staff used satellite and remotely sensed imagery along with earth science data from the European Space Agency (ESA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and other organizations. They created an open platform to share data and processes with all partners. By coordinating with large international agencies, ICIMOD pioneered a visual representation of the Himalayas. Theses maps and datasets turned out to be the most complete depiction of the earth's tallest mountain range and the people who live there. "Incorporating external data in a single platform bridges the gaps in data," Pradhan said. "It also gives us the ability to assemble spatial information on land use with socioeconomic information, which gives us a better understanding of the populations we serve."