From Theory to Practice: WFP Drones in action

Where we've been and what we've done
Capacity building

Madagascar

Community Participation
Search and Rescue
In September 2018, the World Food Programme (WFP) held the first joint-UAS training in the region and helped spark a unique South-South collaboration between Madagascar and Mozambique. The training paired facilitators and participants from both countries' disaster management offices INGC and BNGRC.  ...
Capacity building

Mozambique

Site Surveys and Line of Sight
Community Participation
Damage Assessment
Search and Rescue
Crop Monitoring
Communication
Thanks to WFP's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) training package that was delivered for the first time in Antananarivo, Madagascar, emergency crews had cutting-edge technology on their side when tropical cyclone Desmond hit the north coast of Mozambique on 22 January 2019. UAS, commonly known as drones, were deployed to track rising flood waters and chart better evacuation plans for the people trying to escape them.     ...
Capacity building

Nepal

Community Participation
Crop Monitoring
Connectivity
During November 2019, the World Food Program (WFP) teamed up with Nepal Flying Labs to run a 5-day hands-on training and emergency simulation to improve the rapid deployment and coordination of drones in humanitarian operations. WFP previously designed and ran similar humanitarian drone trainings and simulations with implementing partners in the Dominican Republic, Peru, Myanmar, Malawi and Mozambique. ...
Preparedness

Bangladesh

Community Participation
Crop Monitoring
Ensuring adequate access in and around the world's largest refugee camp in Bangladesh, Cox's Bazar, is essential to reaching those in need. The area is particularly vulnerable to flooding and landslides during monsoon season. Increasingly, drone imagery is bolstering disaster preparedness and monitoring efforts in Cox's Bazar by providing reliable access to timely information before disaster strikes, including on the state of roads, pathways and flood planes.  ...
Preparedness

Bolivia

Site Surveys and Line of Sight
Community Participation
Crop Monitoring
Merging drone technology with local knowledge into the Bolivian Government’s early warning system is at the heart of a joint project implemented by the Vice Ministry of Civil Defence (VIDECI) and the World Food Programme (WFP), funded by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Directorate General (ECHO). The project, centred around the municipality of Curahuara de Carangas, south west of La Paz, aims to bolster emergency preparedness activities and safeguard th...
Preparedness

Colombia

Site Surveys and Line of Sight
Community Participation
Crop Monitoring
As part of its support to the Colombian government's food security efforts and addressing malnutrition, WFP is exploring innovative ways to use drone technology to improve the efficiency and quality of assistance. Drones are relatively cost-effective and can be deployed regardless of weather conditions for data collection including for monitoring biodiversity, preparing for emergencies and carrying out post-disaster assessments. ...
Preparedness

El Salvador

Site Surveys and Line of Sight
Community Participation
Crop Monitoring
In June 2019, El Salvador's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) asked the World Food Programme (WFP) to assess the crater of the highest volcano in the country and the content of its caldera — the rounded hollow that forms after an eruption. Within two weeks, WFP's drones team rolled up their sleeves to work on a custom-made solution. ...
Preparedness

Mozambique

Site Surveys and Line of Sight
Community Participation
Damage Assessment
Flood Modelling
A flood-hazard model created by WFP and its partners is helping people in Mozambique prepare for climate shocks.