BWDB, Friendship sign MoU to strengthen flood forecasting

Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and Friendship a NGO on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance flood forecasting technology, strengthen community-based flood forecasting and early warning systems, promote knowledge and technology exchange, and improve research and capacity development in the water management sector.

The agreement was signed at a ceremony held in the conference room of the Director General at BWDB headquarters, Water Bhaban, in the presence of Director General Md Enayet Ullah, additional directors general and other senior officials of the organisation.

The MoU was signed on behalf of BWDB by Dr Sazzad Hossain, Additional Chief Engineer (Water Science), while Kazi Amdadul Haque, Senior Director and Head of Strategic Planning and Climate Action Sector of Friendship, signed on behalf of the organisation.

The collaboration has been established under the HERON project, which is being implemented by Friendship with support from the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), RSS Hydro and other partner organisations in Luxembourg.

The project seeks to enhance the technical capacity of flood forecasting through satellite-based technology, improve community-level early warning systems, facilitate knowledge and technology transfer, and promote research and innovation in water management.

As part of the initiative, the Chilmari area on the Brahmaputra River has been selected as the project’s research site. The research findings and newly developed technologies will be integrated with BWDB’s existing flood forecasting system with the aim of expanding their application nationwide in the future.

The project will also focus on strengthening the capacity of BWDB engineers and relevant stakeholders, facilitating technology transfer and expanding international research cooperation.

Officials said the memorandum marks the beginning of long-term technical cooperation and research between BWDB and Friendship in the areas of flood forecasting, disaster risk reduction and climate-resilient water resources management.