Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Shakti Bahadur Basnet emphasized further streamlining and weather forecast and early warning system for effective risk management of monsoon-induced disasters.

Minister Basnet called for enhancing disaster preparedness at a programme organized by the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology here today. The Department has predicted more than average rainfall in monsoon this year.

The minimum precipitation in most parts of the country is likely to be more than average by 35-65 per cent in monsoon that generally starts from June 10 and lasts through September 23.

Minister Basnet, speaking at the programme, expressed his concern over the increasing cases of monsoon-induced disasters due to climate change and pledged to make the early warning system more reliable and credible to mitigate risk of the disasters.

In view of the rise in the disasters such as floods and landslides, the Minister highlighted the need for the stakeholders to take precautionary measures and advance disaster preparedness for effective disaster response efforts.

On the occasion, he instructed the Department to take feedback from target-community and other stakeholders and devise strategies, polices and plans accordingly to further organize early warning system.

Basnet affirmed his commitment not to leave any stone unturned to minimize the potential risk of monsoon-induced disasters. Seeing the human resources crunch and financial resources constraints for development of early warning system, he highlighted the need for supplying adequate human resources and managing financial resources.

According to him, climate change was also inducing disasters such as heavier rainfall, less rainfall and drought adversely affecting the agricultural production.

Minister Basnet explained, "If the weather prediction is reliable, the farmers can make well-informed choices and decision regarding which paddy sapling to be planted in which time, when to harvest and when to consider farming."

He also saw the need for raising public awareness about disaster risk reduction to minimize the damages incurred by monsoon-induced disasters.

The north-west part of the Sudurpaschim Province, the south-east part of Bagmati, the central part of Madhesh and the central and mid-west parts of Koshi Province are likely to witness more than (35.4 per cent to 65.5 per cent) than average this time.

Similarly, the western part of the Karnali, central part of Gandaki and the north-east part of Koshi are likely to witness rain more by 35-45 per cent than average. (RSS)