The overall objective of the Reinforcing the capacities of meteorological and hydrological services and enhancing the early warning systems in Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) project is to strengthen the capacities of national and regional stakeholders and institutions in Cambodia and Laos to provide hydrometeorological, early warning and response services to ensure the safety of vulnerable populations.
How does the project work?
The project is part of the broader Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) Initiative, a partnership carried out by WMO, World Bank, Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) with the aim of strengthening climate resilience and early warning systems in the most fragile and disaster-prone island states. The aim is to technically and financially strengthen and support the early warning system of the two countries involved, which are particularly vulnerable to hydro-meteorological disasters such as floods and droughts and those that can result from them (such as landslides). The project aims to work both by supporting government mechanisms and improving the capacity of national meteorological and hydrological services to provide accurate forecasts and warning services; it also wants to strengthen ICT technologies and improve response capabilities to reduce the impact of events on lives, livelihoods, and socio-economic systems. Finally, the project aims to improve the integration of gender and vulnerable groups into Early Warning chains.
What are the expected results?
- Strengthening the governance mechanism
- Improved capacity of national health services to provide forecasts and warnings
- Strengthening of information and communication technologies of national services
- Improved disaster preparedness and response capacity
- Improved gender mainstreaming and inclusion of people with disabilities throughout the early warning chain
What does CIMA Research Foundation do?
Within the project, CIMA Research Foundation has been tasked by WMO to work on three specific activities. First, we are tasked to produce flood and drought risk profiles for Cambodia (as scenario maps) and Laos (as a probabilistic risk profile). Thus, CIMA Foundation is tasked with developing impact-based forecasts in three pilot basins in Cambodia, to be tested during the monsoon season. Finally, we are in charge of the national implementation of the myDEWETRA.world platform, a forecasting and monitoring system developed by the CIMA Research Foundation, and providing technicians with the necessary training for its use.
In 2025, we continue our work in Laos with Expanding the Lao PDR Flood Risk Profile, in which CIMA Research Foundation is supporting World Bank in the development of the Lao Country Climate and Development Report 2025, with an expansion of the probabilistic risk assessment conducted for the country. Activities include assessing the costs and benefits of climate risk-informed planning and investment scenarios (i.e., adaptation options) in Laos, as well as updating the critical infrastructure impact model to reflect the outlook to 2050.