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Namibia Flood and Drought Monitor and Early Warning - A Participatory Workshop Addressing Disaster Risk Reduction Towards the National Framework for Climate Services - July 13th, 2021
Background
Flood and Drought Monitor
Many parts of Namibia are experiencing frequent drought occurrences and an increase in frequency of unpredictable flood and drought. In recent years, flood frequency has increased in recent years in Namibia, affecting around 70,000 people annually. The 2011 flood affected here nearly 500,000 people, with over 60,000 displaced, 19,000 in relocation camps and 65 flood-related deaths. Recurrent droughts affect most of the Namibian territory and cause livestock deaths, crop failures, poverty and food insecurity. For example, drought events in the period 2013–2016 affected about 450,000 people and caused massive food insecurity.
Namibia has been caught unexpectedly by flood and reoccurring longer durations of drought. For example, the Cuvelai-Etosha basin has been experiencing both floods and drought, and the Zambezi-Kwando-Linyanti Basin is frequently flooded, due to the influence of major rivers and Orange Senqu, and also faces frequent drought. In 2006–2007 and 2012–2013, the country observed the onset of rains, which resulted in extreme dryness during the rainfall season, and the increased dryness led to the declaration of a year of drought. The country was also affected by unexpected flooding in the same year. This scenario raised some attention to the understanding of the occurrences of floods and drought and prediction methods used by forecasting bodies within Namibia.
The impact of the floods and droughts highlighted the need for improved flood and drought monitoring and early warning in Namibia, that has also been acknowledged by the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) for the country. Particularly, a need was identified to count with a consolidated and operational Early Warning System (EWS) at the national level, to address floods and droughts, as well as other climatic and weather extremes. As climate change is increasing the frequency of water-related hazards, the need for an operational Early Warning System becomes even more pressing.
UNESCO and Princeton University developed in 2011 the "African Flood and Drought Monitor" (AFDM), providing a regional platform to monitor and provide forecasts of upcoming flood and drought hazards. Building on this regional effort, a more tailored, national version of the Monitor has been developed for Namibia to strengthen flood and drought risk management in the country, and to support the work of the national agencies and related stakeholders to address these hazards through the provision of effective climate services.
Objective
The high-level participatory workshop aims to develop and strengthen the capacity for disaster preparedness and resilience to extreme hydro-meteorological phenomena in Namibia, through the establishment of improved climate services to address the risks and consequences of floods and droughts. Specifically, it will:
Launch the pilot Namibia Flood and Drought Monitor for the management of potential flood and drought risks.
Assess the gaps and needs country-wide to improve disaster risk management.
Finalize the proposal for a community-centered decision-support-system for monitoring and early warning of climate risks in Namibia.
Impact
Improvement of the capacities of national agencies and stakeholders to manage climate information for flood and drought monitoring and forecasting with the establishment of the Namibia Monitoring and Early Warning System.
Expected results
The Namibia FDM is installed with an operative mechanism in terms of human and physical resources facilitating decision-making.
Improved participant understanding of best practices in flood and drought monitoring and management.
A growing network of connected professionals who share common experiences of training and application in water resources management and disaster risk reduction.
Flood and Drought Monitor
Many parts of Namibia are experiencing frequent drought occurrences and an increase in frequency of unpredictable flood and drought. In recent years, flood frequency has increased in recent years in Namibia, affecting around 70,000 people annually. The 2011 flood affected here nearly 500,000 people, with over 60,000 displaced, 19,000 in relocation camps and 65 flood-related deaths. Recurrent droughts affect most of the Namibian territory and cause livestock deaths, crop failures, poverty and food insecurity. For example, drought events in the period 2013–2016 affected about 450,000 people and caused massive food insecurity.
Namibia has been caught unexpectedly by flood and reoccurring longer durations of drought. For example, the Cuvelai-Etosha basin has been experiencing both floods and drought, and the Zambezi-Kwando-Linyanti Basin is frequently flooded, due to the influence of major rivers and Orange Senqu, and also faces frequent drought. In 2006–2007 and 2012–2013, the country observed the onset of rains, which resulted in extreme dryness during the rainfall season, and the increased dryness led to the declaration of a year of drought. The country was also affected by unexpected flooding in the same year. This scenario raised some attention to the understanding of the occurrences of floods and drought and prediction methods used by forecasting bodies within Namibia.
The impact of the floods and droughts highlighted the need for improved flood and drought monitoring and early warning in Namibia, that has also been acknowledged by the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) for the country. Particularly, a need was identified to count with a consolidated and operational Early Warning System (EWS) at the national level, to address floods and droughts, as well as other climatic and weather extremes. As climate change is increasing the frequency of water-related hazards, the need for an operational Early Warning System becomes even more pressing.
UNESCO and Princeton University developed in 2011 the "African Flood and Drought Monitor" (AFDM), providing a regional platform to monitor and provide forecasts of upcoming flood and drought hazards. Building on this regional effort, a more tailored, national version of the Monitor has been developed for Namibia to strengthen flood and drought risk management in the country, and to support the work of the national agencies and related stakeholders to address these hazards through the provision of effective climate services.
Objective
The high-level participatory workshop aims to develop and strengthen the capacity for disaster preparedness and resilience to extreme hydro-meteorological phenomena in Namibia, through the establishment of improved climate services to address the risks and consequences of floods and droughts. Specifically, it will:
Launch the pilot Namibia Flood and Drought Monitor for the management of potential flood and drought risks.
Assess the gaps and needs country-wide to improve disaster risk management.
Finalize the proposal for a community-centered decision-support-system for monitoring and early warning of climate risks in Namibia.
Impact
Improvement of the capacities of national agencies and stakeholders to manage climate information for flood and drought monitoring and forecasting with the establishment of the Namibia Monitoring and Early Warning System.
Expected results
The Namibia FDM is installed with an operative mechanism in terms of human and physical resources facilitating decision-making.
Improved participant understanding of best practices in flood and drought monitoring and management.
A growing network of connected professionals who share common experiences of training and application in water resources management and disaster risk reduction.
9 June 2021
Last update:20 April 2023
