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a
b
Legend
Severe
Medium
Normal
Half-hand rise predicted
Half-hand fall predicted
Fig. 9.7
(
a
,
b
) Community -based fl ood warning system using fl ag (SHOUHARDO I project
document)
system from the regional to the community level was established. Finally, the
fl ood forecast dissemination and monitoring instruments were established.
The information was sent via SMS, a fl ag network and through physical contact
to the local chairman, volunteers and partner NGOs. There are fl ag stations estab-
lished in different suitable positions to show the predicted water-level change.
A fl ag marked with red indicates severe fl ood, yellow shows medium fl ood and
green indicates normal fl ood. A blue fl ag indicates that the fl ood situation will
increase 9.2 cm (local people don't understand cm/m/ft, they understand hand thus
half hand = 9.2 cm) and a white fl ag indicates that water level will decrease 9.2 cm
in the next 48 h. The information was disseminated to the fl ag maintenance people
by SMS through mobile phone (Fig.
9.7
). At the same time most members of the
disaster management committee, and identifi ed volunteers, received the information
through SMS. The information also reached the Union Information Center at Union
Parishad Offi ce, which is easy for community members to access. The community
identifi ed volunteers who could receive the information about the fl ood early warn-
ing through SMS and Union Information Center and disseminate this to the com-
munity using microphones, fl ags and door-to-door communication. Volunteers
immediately inform the community people and chairman of any fl ood warning.
They also meet in every monthly meeting of Union Disaster Management Committee
to update the plan, program and activities to the chairman. Capacity building and
community understanding were made through the fl ood pillar (a concrete block
colour with different fl ood levels), bulletin board, leafl ets and regular training of
community members, fl ag operators, Upzila disaster committee members and of
schoolchildren.
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