Strengthening Household Ability to Respond to Development Opportunities (SHOUHARDO) III program of CARE Bangladesh works with poor rural beneficiaries from 8 districts of the Char and Haor regions of Bangladesh. The locals are highly dependent on agriculture and livestock for their livelihood. However, these communities are the most vulnerable against recurring natural disasters and impacts of climate risk.

To overcome the underlying risks of climate variability and furnish better agricultural/livestock production and disaster risk reduction, RIMES has implemented the project, Improved Weather and Flood Information System for Community Based Risk and Resource Management under SHOUHARDO III program of CARE Bangladesh, supported by USAID and with complementary support from the Government of Bangladesh. 

Program Objectives and Accomplishments

The project aims to enhance community resilience by reducing risks from extreme natural events and maximize benefits from favorable weather conditions using impact-based forecasts of different timescales through adaptive techniques for better decision making in community-based risk and resource management.

1. Improve Medium-Longer Range (10-15 days) Flood Forecasting Technology of FFWC

• 15 days streamflow forecasting model has been integrated into the operational flood forecasting system of FFWC 
• 10 days probabilistic water level forecasting system has been integrated into the operational flood forecasting system of FFWC
• Forecast performance has been analyzed and published in FFWC’s annual report of 2019 and 2020
• 2 trainings have been conducted where in total 12 BWDB professionals have been trained on the system

2. Customize location specific weather forecast at BMD up to Upazila level

• Upazila specific weather forecast for 211 upazilas integrated into BMD website
• 2 trainings have been conducted where total 16 BMD professionals have been trained on the system

3. Pilot forecast based warning/advisory services through DDM, DAE, DLS in selected SHOUHARDO III program Upazilas

• A web-based DMC database developed: DMC database populated with data from 23 upazilas under SHOUHARDO III program
• Voice message broadcasting tool developed: more than 50,000 recipients
• received early warning/advisories through voice message
• 6 trainings conducted for DDM, DAE, DLS professionals
• National Livestock Advisory Services (NLAS) developed followed by 2 National level consultation workshops were arranged for DSS development
• 2 evaluations conducted of community response to advisories

4. Enhance capacity of National and local level stakeholders in forecast application, risk and resource management

• Training guide on Forecast Application and Risk Management developed
• 179 Farmers, women groups from all 13 upazilas trained on forecast application and risk management 
• 42 LSPs, private sector agents and small entrepreneurs trained in forecast application and risk management
• 2 batch of school children participated in the awareness raising workshop

Program Area

SHOUHARDO III Program works in 115 unions in 23 upazilas of 8 char and haor districts. For piloting the interventions under this project, project sites were selected jointly by CARE Bangladesh and RIMES.  The project site included 15 Unions of 13 Upazilas under the 8 SHOUHARDO III Districts - Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Sirajganj, Netrokona, Kishoreganj, Habiganj and Sunamganj