As Nepal struggles to recover from catastrophic floods that have killed at least 1,500 people and over 6,000 missing, a new €19-million European Union-funded programme to strengthen disaster preparedness across South Asia has brought renewed hope, after Project SERVIR-Hindu Kush Himalaya was shut down following USAID funding cut.
The four-year South Asia Disaster Risk Reduction (SA-DRR) programme, launched on October 7 by the EU, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the European Space Agency (ESA), aims to help seven countries, including India and Nepal, use satellite observations and climate services for hazard monitoring, early warning, risk assessment and infrastructure planning.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of Project SERVIR-Hindu Kush Himalaya (SERVIR-HKH), a regional programme involving the US Agency for International Development (USAID), NASA and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). The programme used satellite data and geospatial analysis to support disaster risk reduction, water-resource management and environmental monitoring across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region. Its work was disrupted after US funding was cut in January 2025, halting efforts to improve landslide monitoring and develop slope-motion detection for landslide forecasts.
Some services, including stream flow prediction and forest-fire monitoring, continue, but flood-inundation mapping is no longer operational. The US State Department said the programme’s tools and services remained active through ICIMOD and that other US-supported flood-mitigation initiatives continued in Nepal.
The funding disruption has sharpened concerns about the vulnerability of disaster preparedness systems that depend on long-term research, technical expertise and institutional continuity. The August 26 floods in Nepal, triggered by a rapid slope failure associated with a glacier collapse in the Langtang region, sent a torrent of water, ice and debris downstream, devastating settlements and infrastructure. The European Space Agency subsequently used Copernicus satellite imagery to document the inundation and support emergency mapping and recovery.
The SERVIR-HKH funding cuts should not, however, be interpreted as having caused the disaster or as proof that the programme would have prevented the deaths. The programme probably would not have been able to issue an early warning for this particular glacier-collapse event. Its work on identifying hazardous locations and improving landslide monitoring could nevertheless have strengthened preparedness for other threats.
The distinction is important for SA-DRR, which aims to turn Earth Observation (EO) data into practical information that governments can use before disasters strike. CDRI, in its responses to questions from TNIE, said the new programme was designed around strengthening national capacity and institutional adoption rather than merely delivering satellite-based products.
“The central objective is to leave behind stronger national capacity and institutional capability, rather than create long-term dependence on the programme or any particular donor,” CDRI said.
The programme will help participating countries identify their information needs and capacity gaps and develop national roadmaps for generating, delivering and using science-based risk information. ESA will provide access to European Earth Observation systems and tools, including the EU’s Copernicus programme, while CDRI will lead country engagement, capacity building and regional cooperation.
CDRI said all outputs and services developed under the programme would be open source and not require licensing costs. However, the financial and institutional arrangements for sustaining individual services after the four-year programme concludes would depend on national priorities and the systems established through the roadmaps.
CDRI said SA-DRR would seek to reinforce existing capacities rather than duplicate them. Asked whether it would connect with initiatives such as SERVIR, the organisation said the programme would align Earth Observation and climate services with existing national risk-management systems and development priorities.
“The intention is to connect, reinforce, and enhance existing capabilities rather than duplicate them,” CDRI said.
The programme will cover Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, whose technical and institutional capacities differ. CDRI said support and resource allocation would be guided by country-specific and sectoral needs rather than a uniform approach.
The EU has committed €19 million to the 48-month initiative. Its objectives include improving regional cooperation, strengthening national institutions and embedding satellite-derived information in disaster preparedness, climate adaptation and infrastructure decisions.
Jean-Eric Paquet, Ambassador of the European Union to India, said the Nepal disaster demonstrated the importance of early warnings tailored to local requirements. “The recent disaster that
struck central Nepal is a powerful reminder that early warnings can save lives. But it needs to be adapted to local requirements,” he said.
He added that access to satellite observations and risk data could help local decision-makers climate-proof investments in energy, transport and communications while protecting communities and essential infrastructure.
CDRI director general Amit Prothi said the programme would help countries strengthen their capacity to use Earth Observation and climate services for effective preparedness and decision-making.
Measuring success, however, will require more than counting satellite products developed or officials trained. CDRI said changes in overall disaster losses would be difficult to attribute to a single four-year programme because losses are influenced by multiple factors. Measurable outcomes would instead include the use of Earth Observation services, implementation of national roadmaps and evidence that satellite-derived information is informing decisions.
Key takeaways
SATELLITE DATA FOR EARLY WARNING
Use Earth Observation to monitor hazards, assess risks and strengthen disaster preparedness.
BUILDING ON EXISTING SYSTEMS
The programme aims to complement national risk-management systems and existing Earth Observation tools, including Europe’s Copernicus programme.
Servir-hkh lesson
USAID funding cuts disrupted parts of the regional programme’s hazard-monitoring work, highlighting concerns over the continuity of externally funded services.
WHO IMPLEMENTS IT?
CDRI: National engagement, capacity building and regional coordination.
European Space Agency: Earth Observation services, Copernicus tools and technical expertise.