## 3 Co-Developing an Inundation Monitoring Service for the HKH  
As for any SERVIR-funded service, co-development and transitioning of developed technology to an in-region partner organization was a central part of the HydroSAR service development cycle. To ensure the HydroSAR service is sustainable and meets the end user needs, we utilized a SERVIR-pioneered iterative co-development process, where end user agencies and the HydroSAR project team jointly agreed on the project specifications and created a method to monitor the impact of the service with a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) workflow [28]. As displayed in Figure 2, this workflow integrates end user needs and preferences throughout a service development cycle until eventual delivery of a final service is achieved.  
As indicated by the arrows in Figure 2, each co-development cycle of this workflow follows a sequence of end user need assessment, service design, and service delivery. At the end of each cycle, a service evaluation and impact assessment step is performed, from which a subsequent co-development cycle is initiated until service convergence is achieved. End user engagement is further enabled through regular end user consultation and capacity building workshops (center of Figure 2) held throughout the project's duration.  
Figure 1: Survey of disaster impacts in the HKH using data from the international disaster database EM-DAT ([[https://www.emdat.be/](https://www.emdat.be/)]([https://www.emdat.be/](https://www.emdat.be/)); accessed on 5 March 2024). The data show that flooding events are the predominant hazard affecting communities in the region, resulting in the majority of economic damages. The boundary of the HKH is shown in dark blue. Light blue background shows HKH-associated river basins.  
To implement this co-development workflow, we worked most closely with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), an intergovernmental knowledge and learning center that develops and shares research with the eight regional member countries of the HKH: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan [29]. As one of the core member organizations of the HydroSAR project, and as the hub of SERVIR in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, ICIMOD ([[https://servir.icimod.org/](https://servir.icimod.org/)]([https://servir.icimod.org/](https://servir.icimod.org/)); accessed on 26 August 2024) facilitated end user consultations, training activities with partner countries, in situ data collection, and field verifications throughout the project development phase. Together with the ICIMOD, we conducted several consultation meetings and training activities, inviting relevant stakeholders working on flood management practices. The participants in the workshops comprised government and non-government agencies from Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. Stakeholder feedback collected during these consultation meetings and capacity building events was used to refine the product specifications and delivery mechanisms of the HydroSAR service.  
The ICIMOD is now the host of the completed and operational HydroSAR service and is continuing to evaluate the impact of HydroSAR technology through existing partnership arrangements with national agencies in the HKH.