Kathmandu, July 3 :

A five-day seminar on Satellite Rainfall Estimation (SRE) in the Hindukush Himalayan Region began here today.

Experts from Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India and Pakistan are attending the meet.

Key resource person from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and US Geological Survey (USGS) will be demonstrating how to develop improved estimates of rainfall using advanced remote sensing tools.

The workshop has been identified as the first step in a one-year project which will assist countries to build and enhance capacity of rainfall estimation and applications like flood forecasting and drought monitoring.

“The aim is to develop a satellite rainfall estimate model specifically for the Himalayan region by defining a system developed by NOAA Climate Protection Centre and to test a stream flow model developed by USGS that will support flood warning and thereby help reduce the effects of chronic flooding in the region,” said Mandira Shrestha of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).