River and Canal Intelligence Challenge

Why existing solutions are not enough

 

Existing systems provide monitoring of hydrological data in limited spatial and temporal resolution and operational information, but they are often fragmented and managed separately across agencies and functions. Greater integration, analytics, and user-oriented digital tools are needed to generate more actionable intelligence for river management and related livelihood applications. Additionally, these are used mainly for flood forecasting and early warning but not for water resources management particularly the river and canal system management.

The intended users and beneficiaries of the technology

 

The primary users of the technology will be the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and other related technical agencies responsible for river planning, monitoring, and operations. The system should be practical, operationally relevant, and adaptable to the varying digital capacity and connectivity conditions of the environments in which these agencies work.

 

Secondary beneficiaries include local planners, fishers, aquaculture operators, irrigation users, and flood-prone communities. These groups will not interact with the system directly. Rather, they will benefit from the improved decisions, advisories, and information that flow from government agencies as those agencies apply the system in their planning and operations. Solutions should therefore generate outputs that government agencies can readily translate and share with end beneficiaries through their existing channels.

Financing and co-financing

 

ADB can fund up to $450,000 per project under this challenge. Applicants must co-finance at least 10% of the total project cost, from their own resources or from other funders. Co-financing may be cash or in-kind (for example, staff time and travel). Budget should be reasonable and proportionate to the pilot proposed.

Data and information available to applicants

 

A range of technical studies, GIS datasets, hydrological and hydrogeological data, remote sensing products, and other water-related information are publicly available through government agencies, research institutions, and development partners and may be utilized by applicants during solution development. For example, hydrological and hydrogeological data maintained by the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) are available through the Hydrology Division Data Portal (http://www.hydrology.bwdb.gov.bd/). Additional datasets and analytical resources are also available from international research organizations, including IWMI (https://www.iwmi.org/data/sadms/), as well as other publicly accessible satellite and earth observation platforms.

 

Applicants should note that the challenge is not merely to develop a software platform, but to establish a scientifically sound data system for monitoring river and canal dynamics and supporting evidence-based water resources management. Solution providers are therefore expected to demonstrate a clear understanding of the key indicators required for river and canal monitoring, the underlying scientific methodologies, and the data needed to generate reliable and actionable information. Proposals should clearly describe how available datasets, including government data, field observations, and satellite-based information, will be combined and analyzed to support monitoring, forecasting, and decision-making.