UNESCO and Kenya’s WRA Launch IoT-Based Early Warning System for Floods

UNESCO and Kenya’s Water Resources Authority have deployed IoT sensors in the Tana River Basin to establish a real-time early warning system for flood resilience.

Kenya’s Tana River Basin faces the challenge of limited hydrological monitoring stations, particularly in the mid-to lower reaches, which exposes downstream communities to sudden and seasonal floods. UNESCO has announced its strategy to mitigate the devastating effects of these floods by partnering with key national entities to establish a network of Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring sensors. This, in turn, would lay the foundation for a basin-wide Flood Early Warning System (FEWS). The IoT sensors allow authorities to devise a flood detection system rising water levels at an early stage and protect vulnerable downstream communities. The “Enhancing Flood Resilience in Kenya” project funded through the Japan Supplementary Budget (JSB) relies primarily on this technological intervention to reduce risks posed by disasters and strengthen climate resilience in the Tana River Basin.

Furthermore, the period from March 23 to 27 saw UNESCO achieve its first IoT sensor deployment  through national partner efforts. The project reached a significant milestone with this installation, which followed site surveys and validation missions that UNESCO and experts from the Water Resources Authority (WRA) jointly conducted. This enables technical teams to obtain the necessary know-how for conducting future installations while managing the operational duties of all sensor network nodes. The system established real-time data streams two days after field installation, which collected essential hydro-meteorological data streams for devising effective flood warning system.

Moreover, a practical knowledge workshop was conducted on March 26 with Water Resources Authority representatives and Kenya Meteorological Department members, Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation (MWSI) officials, Kenya Red Cross volunteers, and county government representatives. The use of IoT in disaster management as part of flood early warning system will enhance Kenyan authorities' disaster preparedness, according to CIO Bulletin.