Inspiring VIA Water Lunch Lecture about the ‘Flash Flood Forecasting’ app
Thursday 30 June Hanneke Schuurmans (Royal HaskoningDHV) presented the Flash Flood Forecasting app (a warning app service for Accra, Ghana) during a Lunch Lecture at Unesco-IHE. Hanneke started with a small quiz testing our knowledge, consisting of 4 propositions about flooding in the Netherlands. After that she explained the situation in Accra, Ghana.
She talked about what makes cities in general high risk areas for floods and what you can do about this. She explained that the Flash Flood Forecasting app is an innovative solution for flash floods which gives Ghanaians more control over their own safety, hours earlier and with 50% more accuracy. Flood forecasting is based on rain storm and hydrological models that were developed in the Netherlands.
The consortium involved in developing the app with, among others, Royal HaskoningDHV is going to support the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in Ghana for an informed response to the risk of flash floods. The app is based on a rain storm forecast which is put in a 3Di model for flood prediction. This prediction is then translated into a warning system that suits the needs of the inhabitants. The consortium doesn’t want to make a system only for experts, their goal is a to create a train that moves and that people can use.
The attendees, who where mostly keen students at Unesco-IHE, asked lots of questions afterwards which showed their genuine interest.
You can find the full presentation and the recording of the Lunch Lecture below.
