In this study, the authors carefully examine current practices and approaches to explore opportunities to use weather forecasts, flood alerts and warning to inform forecast-based disaster risk management. Furthermore, they analysed existing policy provisions and legal mandates in Nepal to assess the availability of enabling environment needed for adopting forecast-based humanitarian actions. They also present our learning from piloting this approach to disaster preparedness planning in 19 selected districts of Nepal.
This paper's findings suggest that adequate legal provisions and appropriate institutional mechanisms are essential to ensure effective implementation of forecast-based early actions. It is important and urgent to depart from traditional post-event relief approach to a risk-informed preventive decision-making. Technological limitations and operational gaps between agencies are major barriers to proactive actions. The challenges can be overcome through sufficient legal provisions, technical guidelines and protocols to clarify roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of the authorities.
