The Online NOAA - BMKG Satellite-derived Flood Product Training Course 2023: A Way to Strengthening of Regional Capacity in IBF and Warning Services

Globally impacting human lives and properties, floods are the most frequent natural disasters. Accurate and timely flood mapping plays a significant role for disaster monitoring and relief efforts. In addition, floods are generally short-term disasters with large extents, most of which are caused by extensive rainfall, snowmelt and ice jams. This makes remotely sensed data from satellites to have a great advantage in flood mapping because they can observe the big pictures of floodwaters. The optical satellite imagery from Low-Earth-Orbiting satellites (LEO) and Geostationary satellites (GEO) are especially advantageous in flood mapping because of their excellent data availability, large spatial coverage, and low cost. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), providing all-weather, high-resolution flood mapping and is able to see flooding even during times of extended cloud cover, which inhibits optical flood detection. SAR imagery over flooded areas requires activation of the sensor and thus SAR sensors may not collect imagery even during a satellite overpass. Because flood events not recognize national boundaries, it is necessary to develop Impact Based Warnings (IBW) and Forecasts (IBF) that can be clearly communicated to communities. This is being done as part of the WMO “Early Warnings for All” initiative, which has the goal of making sure that all people in the world are able to receive life-saving early through early warning systems by the end of 2027.

The AOMSUC training course 2022 connected participants across the world, among other from the Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Experts from these two organization met, discussed and initiated ideas on how the NOAA flood products could be used within development of the BMKG’s IBW and WBF. As part of this communication, and considering the global need in utilizing flood products, BMKG designed an international online training course, with the goal to improve participant’s skill in using the NOAA flood product. Learning activities involved a series of lectures, hands-on activities, and assignments to develop participant’s ability to extract flood area output, identify affected areas and operationalize the product effectively. Using these products, participants are able to show the locations of flood events spatially, verify the spatial flood impact predictions issued by IBF in a more sustainable basis which lead to quality improvement.

This presentation will give a brief overview of the online training on the NOAA Flood products utilization that was developed by BMKG, as the WMO Satellite Virtual Laboratory Center of Excellence. Some examples of how BMKG is discussing how to integrate the NOAA Flood product will also be provided. The process of collaboration between the Instructional Designer and Subject Matter Expert in developing Training Development Plan as well as training delivery and evaluation also be captured. Evaluation results showed that the participants gained knowledge and skills in satellite-derived Flood products as well as to strengthen networking among participants.