Early warning system helps Peru build back better
The coastal El Niño of 2017 caused devastating damage from flooding, mudslides and landslides across Northern Peru. In 2020, a government-to-government agreement between Peru and the United Kingdom was put in place to ensure that the reconstruction created lasting resilience to local communities.
As part of this wide-ranging programme, HR Wallingford is a key delivery partner for the national flood and landslide early warning system. The new national early warning system will help protect 16 million people living in high risk areas, safeguarding lives and livelihoods.
Working as part of the UK delivery team (led by Arup, Mace and Gleeds) we are enabling technology transfer to Peru by applying our extensive knowledge of flood forecasting, early warning systems, and international best practice to provide technical assurance to the Peruvian Authority for Reconstruction with Change (ARCC).
Our work on this initiative covers: risk knowledge: monitoring and forecasting: warning dissemination, and public awareness raising. Our team has been instrumental in the procurement stage of the early warning system overseeing the design for the first 10 river basins and reviewing design submissions alongside holding workshops to discuss key components, and meeting with the contractor.
We are continuing to support ARCC as we move into the next stage of implementation of the early warning system, by providing assurance for the design of systems for the remaining catchments and implementation of the overall system.
HR Wallingford has also provided technical assurance for the integrated flood risk catchment management plans for several catchments in Peru, which involved reviewing and providing quality assessment for the hydrological studies, hydraulic modelling and planned interventions. We were also involved supporting the development of the master plan for flood protection and sediment management in the catchment of the Piura river and provided hydraulic, sediment and GIS modelling.
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