The WDPS aims to utilise ECMWF weather forecast information to help Kenya mitigate epidemic following drought and flood disasters, both had severe impacts to human health in the country.
The Exeter team featuring Dr Albert Chen, Dr Barry Evans, Dr Mike Gibson and Dr Mehdi Khoury from the Centre for Water Systems, as well as Dr Damien Decremer from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) took part in the recent #OpenDataHack, a high-profile event established to help promote the benefits of ‘open data’ - or data that can be freely used, shared and built-upon by anyone. At the event, they demonstrated their online platform which highlights where fresh water should be deployed to help prevent epidemics from breaking out following droughts or floods in developing countries. The team, featuring researchers from Exeter’s world-renowned Centre for Water Systems and called CWS+, was selected as the joint winner of the GET CREATIVE challenge at the event, held in Reading.