Bihar flood management information system : status report

The long-term objective is to develop and implement a comprehensive Flood Management Information System (FMIS) to effectively support flood control and management in the flood prone areas of Bihar State. The FMIS, identified for entry-level and short-term bank engagement in Bihar, is designed to generate and disseminate timely and customized information to move the sector agencies from disaster response to improved disaster preparedness and to effectively support flood control and management in the flood prone areas of the State of Bihar. The development of FMIS is planned in four stages: flood hazard characterization and emergency response; improved flood preparedness and community participation; flood hazard mitigation; and integrated flood management. FMIS will improve the flood forecasts through a suite of appropriate models; develop a focal point in an institutional framework and information setting, as well as improve information flow and sector preparedness. In the short term, FMIS aims at new technological approaches to improve the decision process before, during and after the flood events and the use and allocation of available resources, along with a substantive effort of planning the development and rehabilitation of the flood and drainage control infrastructure.