Technical Specifications and Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines for Resilient Hydrometeorological Monitoring and Early Warning Systems in Nepal

Technical Specifications and Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines for Resilient Hydrometeorological Monitoring and Early Warning Systems in Nepal: An Action Research Study

1. Background

People in Need (PIN) is a non-governmental, non-profit, international organization founded in the Czech Republic in 1992. PIN arrived in Nepal as part of a humanitarian response to the April 25, 2015 earthquake. Since its inception in Nepal, PIN has had a strong role in designing and facilitating systemic solutions advocating for and addressing the needs of vulnerable populations affected by disasters including person categories who live in geographically remote areas of the country, historically marginalized ethnic groups, and those marginalized because of their age and/or gender identity. Currently, PIN Nepal is implementing programmes under three strategic pillars 1) Emergency response and recovery, 2) Climate resilience, and 3) Civil society and inclusive governance.

The Himalayan rivers in Nepal are exposed to interrelated dangers such as glacier and ice-rock avalanches, landslides, temporary river obstructions, debris flows and abrupt outburst floods. Such disasters may also place without significant rain and give authorities and downstream towns barely minutes to react. The Assessment Report of Center of Hydrology and Water Research (CHWRR) on the 26 August 2026 Rasuwa-Bhote Koshi flood mentions that a fast-moving flood wave was generated by the ice-rock avalanche and spontaneous release of water and debris. The projected transit time from the higher catchments to Rasuwagadhi was just approximately 7–8 min. Hydrological stations at Rasuwagadhi, Syabrubesi, Betrawati and Phurke (Malekhu) among others were lost or ceased transmitting, producing gaps in observations when they were most required.

The incident also demonstrated the usefulness of merging many sources of information. Local gauge readers, authorities and downstream stations backed the warning choices. CHWRR issued warnings by SMS, telephone, media, and official channels. After the flood, CHWRR placed a CCTV camera at Timure, some 70 meters above the river, connected to its 24-hour flood forecasting service. This direct view is, in addition to, not a replacement for telemetry and measured water levels. Newly formed temporary lakes also demonstrated the necessity for monitoring any subsequent occurrences

In this context, the People in Need (PIN) in collaboration with the Center of Hydrology and Water Resources Research (CHWRR) and other key stakeholders hopes to build on these experiences to evaluate feasible and robust monitoring investments and linkages to timely warnings. The study will be carried out in the Bhote Koshi–Trishuli corridor, and the technical guidelines developed may be extended to other high-risk Himalayan rivers.

The investments are:

• River monitoring using CCTV, with low-light/night-vision, infrared or thermal options and, if warranted, AI/ML-assisted water-level estimations. These should be compared with the current Timure installation, tested against the available gauge data, and analysed for limits in rain, fog, darkness, and debris loaded flow. 
• Reliable power, data transmission and backup solutions, including appropriately sized solar-battery systems, local data storage and separate communication channels, to allow observations to continue or be restored promptly during interruptions. 
• Protected, redundant, and sacrificial hydrometeorological stations were beneficial. Debris impact, scour, bridge or bank collapse, access for maintenance and the requirement to situate vital equipment above realistic high flood levels, when practical, should be considered in site selection and design. 
• Connections between confirmed monitoring data and real-world government warnings and community-based alert mechanisms, including sirens where appropriate, without presuming that technology alone is sufficient to give enough evacuation lead time in the upper basin.

The assignment has to identify what can be protected, what may be harmed in an extreme situation, and what backup information will be provided. It should also look at how observations are reviewed, provided to CHWRR decision makers and utilised by local authorities, particularly when traditional rainfall or water level thresholds may not provide adequate notice.

The action study will examine technological appropriateness, dependability, price, maintenance requirements, and replication prospects. It will provide field-informed specifications, realistic standard operating procedures (SOPs), a clearly defined monitoring methodology, and a prioritised investment plan. The consulting is for the evaluation and design advice of EWS for Himalayan Hazards.

2. Objective of the Assignment

Overall Goal

Field-based action research to find a robust mix of visual river monitoring, water-level measurements, protected and sacrificial stations, dependable power and telemetry, and community warning linkages. Translate information from the 2026 Bhote Koshi–Trishuli flood into clear technical specifications, realistic SOPs and costed recommendations for CHWRR and PIN to inform future investment. 

Specific Objectives

• Assess the performance of current stations and the Timure CCTV system and assess possible visual and water level monitoring solutions for abrupt non-rainfall caused by floods. Understand what each technology can see, how fast, and where it may be missed. 
• Identify safe and practicable monitoring locations and installation designs based on flood exposure, debris and scour danger, line of sight, access, maintenance requirements and possibility of station damage or loss. 
• Evaluate power requirements, separate telemetry paths, local data storage, fault warnings, and backup plans necessary to provide relevant observations during severe events and extended outages. 
• Develop low cost, reproducible specifications and targeted SOPs for installation, data checks, maintenance, fault response and post-flood recovery, with defined roles for CHWRR field units and trained local gauge readers.

3. Area of Responsibility

The consultant or consulting company will work closely with PIN and CHWRR and will interact with other key partners including UNDP and ICIMOD as necessary. The task should include desk review, interviews, and site visits.

1. Existing monitoring systems and gaps review

Review CHWRR’s September 2026 assessment, monitoring records, equipment logs and stakeholder feedback to identify critical monitoring failures, information flow gaps and delays in delivering downstream flood warnings. Assess the effectiveness of existing systems, including the Timure CCTV and local gauge readers, and identify areas requiring improvement.

2. Technical Specifications for River Surveillance by CCTV and Advanced Image Sensors

Review the existing CCTV system at Timure and assess low-light, thermal and AI-assisted monitoring technologies, considering visibility, installation, equipment protection and maintenance requirements. Recommend suitable technologies for reliable river monitoring, particularly during severe weather and at night. Identify which changes in river conditions can be detected through cameras and which require verification through hydrological measurements or field observations.

3. Structural Protection Evaluation, Resilient Installation Designs and Sacrificial Hydrometeorological Stations 

Identify monitoring equipment and infrastructure that require protection, elevation, duplication or sacrificial installation, considering site stability, debris flow, erosion, accessibility and structural safety. Assess suitable installation locations, protection measures and backup arrangements to maintain essential hydrological observations if primary monitoring stations are damaged or destroyed. Recommend practical engineering requirements for resilient installations, subject to detailed technical design before construction.

4. Evaluate Communications, Power and Backup Systems

Assess the reliability of solar power and industrial-grade battery systems during prolonged cloud cover, seasonal extremes and equipment damage, considering backup duration and associated costs. Evaluate communication redundancy, outage alerts, data storage and automatic backup systems to maintain the continuous availability of essential monitoring data and CCTV feeds to CHWRR during major disruptions.

5. Prepare Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Technical Specifications 

Develop technical specifications and SOPs for site selection, equipment installation, monitoring, maintenance, troubleshooting and post-flood restoration. Include equipment requirements, estimated maintenance costs and local capacity-building needs to support reliable operations, future procurement and replication in other high-risk river basins.

6. Develop a Replication and Investment Strategy

Prepare a phased, prioritised and costed investment plan for the Bhote Koshi–Trishuli corridor, distinguishing between urgent improvements, pilot interventions and longer-term investments. Identify solutions suitable for replication in other high-risk river basins. For each proposed investment, specify the location, purpose, expected benefits, technical limitations, estimated costs, maintenance requirements, institutional responsibilities, training needs, and handover arrangements.

Note: A set of technical solutions and practical guidelines tested under real field conditions.

4. Expected Deliverables

• Inception report outlining technical assessments of monitoring (CCTV) and communication systems. 
• Technical Assessment and Recommended Monitoring System Designs
• Technical Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Prioritised and Costed Investment and Replication Plan for another Himalayan Basin. 

5. Timeline

The assignment will be completed by the end of January 2027 from contract signature.

6. Required Qualifications

• A master’s degree in Early Warning systems, Hydrology, Glaciology, Meteorology, Disaster Risk Management or a related field is required.
• At least 7 years of relevant experience in Early Warning Systems (EWS), focusing on warning communication, dissemination mechanisms, institutional coordination, and community-based approaches to early warning.
• Experience in reviewing warning communication systems and collaborating with government entities to develop practical and cost-effective implementation plans for communication and dissemination.

7. Reporting & Supervision

The consultant will work under the supervision of PIN team in close coordination with Flood Forecasting Department (CHWRR), Nepal Meteorological Department and NDRRMA. All data produced as maps, figures, or illustrations should be handed over to PIN in the appropriate file format.

8. Evaluation method (performance of evaluation criteria):

Price (40%)

The evaluation result of this criterion equals the following formula: Price A/Price B * criteria weight. 

Price A = lowest price from all submitted offers; Price B = actual price offered by the tenderer.

Quality (60%)

The bids will be evaluated by a procurement committee considering the following criteria for a technical proposal. The total marks of the technical evaluation will be 60 whereas the weightage is given below. 

The evaluation result of this criterion equals to the following formula: Points B/Points A * criteria weight. Points A = highest points score from all; Points B = actual points score received from committee.

PIN will provide consultancy fees in three installments: the first (30%) will be provided immediately after the agreement is signed, the second (30%) will be provided after the draft report is submitted, and the final installment (40%) will be provided after the final submission of the report, as specified in the ToR. According to the GON policy, tax will be deducted from the contract amount. PIN will provide the logistics arrangements according to its policy (i.e. transportation, lodging, per diem, etc.)

10. Application procedure

The applications should submit the following documents via email to Bids Submission Platform Nepal <nepal.securebids@peopleinneed.net> before 17th November,2026 with the Subject: Quotation_ EWS Action Research Study:

• Profile of the institution with CVs of key Personnel 
• Technical proposal with proven experience, key deliverables, plan of action, and timeline.
• Financial proposal budget breakdown 
• A copy of the Company Registration certificate (where applicable)
• A copy of VAT certificate and/or PAN details (obligatory)
• A copy of tax clearance for the last fiscal year (where applicable)