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Koshi Basin Flood Forecasting & Early Warning System — Phase III

Main Project / Programme
OngoingResearch ConsultingDisaster Resilience
Koshi Basin Flood Forecasting & Early Warning System — Phase III
Koshi Basin Flood Forecasting & Early Warning System — Phase IIISunsari, Morang, Saptari, Sindhuli, Ramechhap, Dolakha, Sindhupalchok, Kavrepalanchok, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Dhading, Makwanpur, Chitwan
Project Information
Client
UNDP Nepal
Government of Nepal (MoHA)
Source of Fund
Development Partner
Geography
Province
KoshiMadheshBagmati
Region
Mountain
Districts (16)· 5 Terai
SunsariMorangSaptariSindhuliRamechhapDolakhaSindhupalchokKavrepalanchokLalitpurBhaktapurKathmanduNuwakotRasuwaDhadingMakwanpurChitwan
Duration
Jul 2022Dec 2025
Jul 2022100%Dec 2025
22
Hydro-met stations installed
34
MHAWS units deployed
14
Sub-catchment models
480
Volunteers trained
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About the Project

The  Nepal Koshi Flood Management Programme (NKFMP) is a multi-phase Government of Nepal initiative supported by the World Bank and UNDP targeting the Koshi basin — one of the most flood-prone river systems in the Himalayas.

IES Nepal was engaged under Phase III to design and implement a comprehensive flood forecasting system integrated with community-based early warning networks, covering three provinces and 14 districts with an estimated 2.4 million direct beneficiaries.

The project builds on IES Nepal's earlier flood forecasting work in the Narayani and Rapti basins, scaling proven methodologies to a more complex, multi-province river system with greater topographic and climatic variability.

What We Did

Hydrological modelling & flood forecasting system
SWAT and HEC-HMS ensemble models for 14 sub-catchments; 24-hour lead-time flood forecasting for 6 key gauge stations across the basin.
Hydro-met station network — 22 new AWS & water level stations
Station siting, procurement specification, installation oversight and telemetry integration with DHM's national platform. Real-time GSM/GPRS transmission with satellite backup.
Multi-Hazard Audio Warning System (MHAWS) — 34 units in 8 VDCs
Design and installation oversight of 34 solar-powered MHAWS siren units covering flood, landslide and thunderstorm triggers, operated by trained community volunteers.
Flood inundation & hazard mapping — 6 river reaches
HEC-RAS 2D modelling for 10, 25, 50 and 100-year return period floods. Delivered as GIS shapefiles and a project-specific Web-GIS portal for district authorities.
Community EWS training — 480 volunteers across 52 wards
Training in EWS protocols, evacuation route planning and post-flood rapid assessment. Produced community guidebooks in Nepali and local languages.

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