Why Bangladesh needs an integrated disaster information system like Nepal’s ‘Bipad Portal’
The Bipad Portal is an integrated and comprehensive disaster information management system developed by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) of Nepal
Saifullah Sayed is a young researcher at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).
As a GIS (Geographic Information System) specialist on the JICA-funded NODI project, he encountered challenges in collecting data from various local government offices for the 2023 flood in Chakaria, Pekua, Lama, and Alikadam Upazilas of South-east Bangladesh.
For professionals like him, as well as journalists in Bangladesh, the struggle with collecting data is nothing new; we are known to have persistent 'data poverty'.
Saifullah recently attended the Himalayan Climate Data Field Lab 2024 in Kathmandu, Nepal, organised by the University of Toronto, University of Michigan, and Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) of International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
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At this programme, he came to learn about the Bipad Portal - an integrated and comprehensive disaster information management system operated by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) of Nepal.
"The laborious process [of collecting data in Bangladesh] made me appreciate the efficiency of the Bipad portal in Nepal, which I found truly amazing. The portal consolidates detailed hazard information from multiple departments, allowing users to visualise damage at the district and municipality levels," he told The Business Standard.
When it comes to disaster management in general, Bangladesh has set examples in tackling cyclones, especially in the coastal belt. It has shown the world how maximum results can be reached using minimum resources.
The country now boasts more than 5,000 cyclone shelters; more than 76,000 volunteers work in the coast, most of whom are women, under the Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP), which is an early warning system.
These volunteers are renowned for their door-to-door forecasting with megaphones to keep the people safe.
And the achievement is also evident through the reduction in the number of deaths from catastrophic cyclonic events. In fact, the country is soon to be tested as the Cyclone Remal is expected to hit.
However, when it comes to finding data on risks, damage and loss, different incidents, and real time climatic and environmental issues, it is a struggle. Some information is available on government websites, but they are not always updated.
In order to get current data, or to have an understanding of the current situation, one has to actually visit the government offices. Whether or not you will be able to meet the officials depends a lot on your 'luck'.
But climatic and environmental risk oriented data and real time information is now more essential than ever, since we are continuously facing the impacts of climate change.
Not only for researchers and other professionals, data accessibility is essential for everyone in the country, including farmers.
This is where Nepal's Bipad Portal has become a good example as a one-step comprehensive solution to the problems in getting hold of information and data.
"Bipad Portal is not a particular department or platform's website; it is Nepal's overall integrated national disaster management system. We work across multiple departments and agencies," said Anil Pokhrel, Chief Executive of NDRRMA, at the field lab event, adding, "So, [you] don't need to go to 20 different websites for data. [We built] one interface, one portal where we provide forecasts, information about forest fires etc, for example."
Youth Innovation Lab, a non-profit civic tech company, developed the Bipad Portal for the NDRRMA. Its Executive Director Pradip Khatiwada shared with us that his organisation was currently working with several other governments on similar projects.
"Risk and risk reduction is such a big initiative that only a government and a few institutions cannot do it alone. So, we need to keep this dataset publicly accessible so everybody can understand whether their investment is safe or not. This was our idea," said Pradip.
How does the Bipad Portal work?
This portal gives you data on several issues, including incidents, loss and damage, real time information, risks, and the data archive – all on the same site. Real time updates about air quality, rain, forest fires etc are also available.
Once you enter the website, you will find the map of Nepal and a dashboard on the right with different tabs such as 'incidents', 'damage and loss', 'real time' etc.
If you click on 'incidents', you will see the map dotted with colourful circles. Different colours represent different types of hazards, including floods, forest fires, heavy rainfall, landslides, animal incidents etc.
You may customise the locations and time frame as per your requirement.
If you click on the circles, they will show details about the impacts of the incidents on people, property etc.
For example, if you click on the red circle in Bagmati province, you will see there was a fire reported on 22 May and it caused a loss of around NRS 1,50,000 and destroyed one livestock.
The real time tab on the dashboard gives information on rainfall, earthquake, streamflow etc. Keeping track of rainfall and water levels in rivers is crucial in monsoon, as floods are an increasingly alarming phenomenon in the country.
So, where does all this information come from?
The incidents, damage and loss data comes from the Nepal police reporting system.
"They have their own system of data validation and reporting. This is passed on to the district level administration [from local thanas] and then to the Nepal police headquarters' disaster division. From there, they are sent to the National Emergency Operating Centre who digitise the data set and integrate it to the portal," Pradip said.
And all the other data comes through the government and other institutions.
"For example, the department of geology has sensors around the country. Whenever an earthquake happens, it goes to their website, and after this, it goes to the Bipad Portal. Same with the pollution. The ministry of environment and forest has stations in different parts of the country; they fetch those data in real time and contribute to the Bipad Portal," Pradip said.
Bipad Portal is a relatively new concept. While it is a powerful tool for researchers and alike, Saifullah notes, it certainly has its shortcomings.
"Data entry by the local police sometimes occurs off-site, leading to inaccurate hazard locations, and once data is entered [into the portal], it is difficult to correct the mistakes. Addressing these issues could enhance the portal's accuracy and reliability," he suggested.
But he believes that the Bipod portal is an impressive initiative that could significantly improve disaster management and research, and Bangladesh would greatly benefit from a similar system.
Professor Dr Atiqur Rahman of the department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Chittagong is a reputed researcher of climate change assessment and modelling, agricultural water management, and environmental management issues related to climate change. He finds the Bipad Portal model a game-changer in climate information accessibility to the marginal population.
"According to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), from the 10 most commonly reported disasters, nine are directly or indirectly related to weather or climate. Therefore, making sure that weather information reaches the marginal people, who are mostly affected, is the best way to mitigate the loss of lives and property from natural disasters. The Bipad Portal of Nepal is doing this exact job in a very smart way," he said.
He added that the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Bangladesh Water Development Board etc have their own websites, but it is not easy for the general people to understand the disaster or weather forecast from those sites.
The Bangladesh government may take an initiative to develop such a portal from where all users may get both data and information easily.
Having real time climate data is no more a privilege but the right of the people. Considering the recent erratic rainfalls and lightning events and associated casualties, development of a portal like Bipad is a pressing need for Bangladesh, said the expert.
