Md Jahedul Islam

Climate change has affected the world. Various types of natural disasters like rainfall, earthquakes, tsunamis and floods have increased. Therefore in this era of modern information technology the accurate weather forecasting has become necessary as an early warning. Barometer (to measure the atmospheric pressure), hygrometer (to measure the humidity), thermometer (to measure the temperature) etc. using the modern technology instruments geographical location, past weather history, temperature, air pressure, air humidity, climate, natural environment, amount of forest area etc. current weather and near future weather are predicted by observing and analyzing the data obtained. Currently it is possible to deliver weather and climate related services to people's doorsteps quickly through the use of modern scientific technology.

Natural calamities cause extensive damage to people's lives. So every moment before disaster strikes is precious. If proper warning was given before the natural calamity strikes then the amount of damage would have been reduced a lot. Advance information about various natural disasters like cyclone, drought, tsunami, earthquake and flood can protect people's resources. Beside this it also reduce the loss of life as well as reduce the amount of damage to agricultural production. In fact measures should be taken to protect the country and its people from natural disasters by increasing the quality of weather and climate forecasting services in the country as a whole.

Researchers are conducting various types of research on methods of getting early warning signals in case of natural disasters. They have used GPS technology to receive signals of natural disasters as well as sensor technology useful for assessing the risk of natural disasters in their research and experiments. Engineers have also used various such sophisticated technologies to receive emergency signals of severe natural disasters like flash floods or flash floods. In this case researchers are experimenting with such technology so that information is available in real time or as soon as the incident occurs. Because every moment is the most precious time before a natural disaster. Therefore it will be easier for emergency services agencies to be prepared if the information is available as soon as the incident occurs.

This will make it easier to send such alerts to smartphones. Such technology will be widely used in public safety. Cyclone is one of the most severe natural disasters that hit the world. There are several methods for predicting the intensity and track of cyclones. For example, sophisticated computerized radars with greater range can clearly see how the cyclonic cloud is rotating, the height of the cloud and its direction. Cyclone peak wind speed and cyclone speed can be determined from radar images. With the help of this radar now it is possible to get a three-dimensional idea of the cyclone.

Besides images of cyclones are also available through satellites. Basically with the help of the technology the electro-magnetic waves sent from the radar targeting the clouds hit the cloud particles and return as reflected waves to the receiver located in the radar antenna. Through this the movement and nature of the cloud can be understood. Electromagnetic waves are usually sent from the radar at regular intervals. By doing this it is possible to tell when and where a sudden storm or called " Kalbaisakhi Storm" will occur.

The Internet and new media have now taken over much of the emergency telecommunication system for natural disaster forecasting. Environmental and meteorological scientists around the world are constantly working to predict weather-related disasters. Advance warning to the public through forecasting greatly reduces loss of life and property. Environmental and meteorological scientists are striving to make accurate and timely forecasts using the latest digital technologies to educate the public. On the other hand an earthquake is a tremor of the earth. An earthquake is the shaking of the earth. Earthquake occurs when a rock rises above another rock inside the earth. An earthquake is a sudden change in position or movement of a part of the earth's surface.

Total an average of 6,000 earthquakes occur in the world every year. Most of them are subtle, which we don't notice. There are generally three types of earthquakes - strong, moderate and mild. There are many seismometers around the world that record tremors whenever an earthquake occurs. As the meters are automated and networked, the initial analysis report comes out of the computer within seconds. This tremor-intensity data helps geologists map the subsurface, analyzing the source and intensity of earthquakes.

Just as weather forecasting can save lives from many dangers, accurate forecasting can also manage the economic system of the country. Technology has improved a lot. With the help of various types of satellites in the space through the current modern technology the weather news of different parts of the world is now known very easily. In this developed world the observations such as temperature, pressure, humidity and wind speed are collected from around the world from various sources, including satellites. As the 'Remote Sensing' improves then more accurate information is available from these satellites. Taking pictures of the sky and also taking pictures of the bottom of the sea. The vibration tells if danger is coming or not.

Weather forecasting satellites send information about when and where storms are likely to occur as well as temperature fluctuations. Now various types of work are done depending on all of them. Due to such rapid changes in weather and climate now it has become imperative and important to modernize forecasting systems. Currently many countries around the world are emphasizing on artificial intelligence technology for accurate weather forecasting. Using this technology will enable more accurate weather forecasting.

Various new technical plans have been adopted with this. In the coming days this technology will bring a new revolution for the people of the world in the field of weather. Meanwhile due to its geographical location the weather and climate of Bangladesh is temperate. But it is becoming extreme day by day. As a result its adverse effects are being observed in the overall field including agriculture, public health, fisheries, biodiversity of the country. Due to the adverse effects of climate change the number and severity of disasters in Bangladesh is continuously increasing.

Like other countries in the world now Bangladesh is very important to use various research programs and advanced technologies to deal with the effects of climate and weather changes. Various technologies including advanced wind measuring and recording system, digital barometer, GPS radio station should be used along with the existing technology for weather monitoring and data analysis. Through the use of all these modern technologies it will be possible to get more accurate and early predictions of natural disasters.

The use of these advanced technologies will play a helpful role in reducing the damage caused by disasters. For the sake of excellence in science the popularity of the technologies that are taken to deal with the damage in disaster-prone countries has increased as well as the acceptance.

At one time there was a lot of inconsistency in flood and cyclone forecasts in particular. Due to which these predictions were of no importance to people. But these limitations have been overcome in information technology research over the last two decades. Nowadays people's confidence in forecasting has also increased along with awareness. As a result the amount of damage is much less now than before. Especially the number of casualties has been very limited.

The writer is a Network Technician (ICT Cell) Jagannath University, Dhaka.