Applications of Medium Range Probabilistic Flood Forecast for Societal Benefi ts: Lessons Learnt from Bangladesh - Reducing Disaster: Early Warning Systems for Climate Change - page 174

and recovery activities. Local NGOs, government organizations and community-
based organizations (CBOs) mobilized mechanized and manual boats to rescue
people and livestock from the 'char' areas. Local NGOs and the Department of
Agriculture Extension prepared work plans for relief and rehabilitation activities.

9.5.3 Community-Level Decision Responses (Lowland)

Upon receiving the information, local people planned to store dry food and safe
drinking water for about 15 days knowing that relief will start only 7 days after
initial fl ooding. They secured cattle, poultry birds, homestead vegetables, cooking
stoves, small vessels, fi rewood and animal dry fodder; evacuated to identifi ed high
grounds with adequate sanitation and communication; and identifi ed alternative
livelihood options immediately after fl ooding (e.g. small-scale fi shing, boat-mak-
ing, etc.).

9.5.4 Community-Level Decision Responses (Highland)

Communities living at the highland abandoned the crop T.Aman transplanting tem-
porarily, anticipating fl oods, and secured additional seedlings for double planting of
rice after the fl oods. They also protected homestead vegetables by creating adequate
drainage facilities, reserved seeds of fl ood-tolerant crops and planned for growing
seedlings in the highlands and for alternative off-farm employment during the
fl oods. Farmers harvested their of B.Aman rice and jute early, anticipating fl oods
and leaving livestock in highland shelters.

9.5.5 Key Lessons from the 2007 Flood Forecast Application

The 1-10 day forecast performed signifi cantly well in 2007. Bangladesh faced
fl ooding two times in 2007 which impacted the community and the national econ-
omy, but at the same it also proved a good opportunity to test and build confi dence
in the developed model. No other country in the world has been able to develop this
kind of forecasting technique. Some key lessons learnt during the 2007 fl oods include:

• Confl icting community perceptions and misinterpretations of forecast informa-
tion reduces the local response actions in appropriate time. Future targets should
be related to capacity building at the community level.
• Community level risk maps are the better tools to incorporate fl ood information
and prepare localized impact outlooks.