Early warning on floods

The European Space Agency has funded a satellite system that will help to give early warning of floods on the Ganges and the Brahmaputra-Jamuna floodplain in Bangladesh. Heavy monsoons have left the country struggling against floods which affect one-tenth of the nation's territory. A radar imaging system on ESA's ERS Earth observing satellites now gives "real time" information about the state of these rivers and their tributaries, information that can help the country's water resources planning organisation to identify critical areas that need a rapid response.