Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System (RIMES)

What Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) does

RIMES is an intergovernmental institution headquartered at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) campus in Pathumthani, Thailand, with approximately 130 staff and offices across South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Nepal), Thailand, and Timor-Leste. It provides regional, multi-hazard early warning services to National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), national disaster management agencies, line ministries, and local governments across 14+ countries in South Asia, ASEAN, and the Pacific. Its mandate is to strengthen member states' capacity to anticipate and manage hydro-meteorological, seismic, tsunami, ocean, and climate-related hazards through a portfolio spanning data infrastructure, forecasting, and community-level decision support.

The organization's technical core is a multi-hazard early warning platform built around four service modules — Regional Observing and Monitoring Networks; Earthquake, Tsunami, and Ocean Services; Weather, Climate, and Hydrological Services; and National Capacity Enhancement across the early warning value chain — supported by proprietary decision-support tools including the first Cyclone Impact Forecasting Toolkit for Bangladesh (co-developed with BMD and DDM), a 1-10 day probabilistic flood forecasting system operationalized with Bangladesh's FFWC, and Flash Flood Guidance Systems for Sylhet and Cox's Bazar. Its methodological signature is Impact-Based Forecasting (IBF), which translates meteorological data into location- and sector-specific impact scenarios at district and sub-district resolution.

RIMES operates on a non-commercial model funded primarily by international climate finance mechanisms (Green Climate Fund, SOFF), bilateral donors (USAID), UN agencies (UNDP, IOM, UN ESCAP), and program partners (CARE, Save the Children). Go-to-market is event- and program-driven through co-organized regional climate outlook forums (SASCOF, ASEANCOF), technical working groups, and bilateral technical cooperation agreements rather than commercial sales. Member-state relationships are formalized through its intergovernmental charter and accountability to the ESCAP Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness.

Name

Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System (RIMES)

Legal name

Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES)

Website

https://rimes.int

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

RIMES is a Thailand-based intergovernmental institution that provides multi-hazard early warning systems — including impact-based forecasting, flood forecasting, and seismic/tsunami monitoring — to national meteorological agencies, disaster management bodies, and line ministries across South Asia, ASEAN, and the Pacific.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multi-Hazard Early Warning Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Data, Monitoring, Remote Sensing & Early Warning (BPADALAN)

Keywords

• Multi-hazard early warning
• Impact-based forecasting
• Climate risk management
• Flood forecasting systems
• Disaster risk reduction

Headquarters

HQ city

Pathumthani

HQ country

Thailand

HQ region

Asia

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donor-funded Programs: RIMES operates primarily through donor-funded projects from international climate finance mechanisms including Green Climate Fund (GCF), with programs like GCF-Timor Leste enhancing early warning systems for hydro-metrological hazards.
2. Member State Contributions: Intergovernmental institution with participating countries that contribute to regional capacity building and early warning system development.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

RIMES operates a regional multi-hazard early warning platform that delivers data collection, modeling and forecasting, and translates forecasts into actionable information for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and disaster management agencies across Africa and Asia. Its offerings span observing and monitoring networks, earthquake/tsunami/ocean services, weather/climate/hydrological services, and national capacity enhancement across the early warning value chain, including specialized decision support tools such as the Cyclone Impact Forecasting Toolkit for Bangladesh and probabilistic flood forecasting systems.

Product overview

RIMES operates as a unified regional early warning system offering a portfolio of interconnected services centered around its Core Services platform. The main offerings include: (1) RIMES Core Services covering data availability, modeling and forecasting, and translating data into actionable information; (2) Specialized service modules for Earthquake/Tsunami/Ocean Services, Weather/Climate/Hydrological Services, Regional Observing and Monitoring Networks, and National Capacity Enhancement across the early warning value chain; (3) Decision support tools including the Cyclone Impact Forecasting Toolkit for Bangladesh, the 1-10 Days Probabilistic Flood Forecasting System, and Flash Flood Guidance Systems for specific regions; and (4) Knowledge products including seasonal climate outlook forum reports from ASEANCOF and SASCOF. The organization provides capacity building, R&D, and institutional support to strengthen member countries' ability to lead their own early warning system development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RIMES Core Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Strengthened early warning capacity across 9 South Asian countries through SASCOF consensus bulletins
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and program.

• Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) and Department of Disaster Management (DDM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2025Co-developed the first Cyclone Impact Forecasting Toolkit for Bangladesh, integrating high-resolution hazard forecasts with vulnerability indices and sector-specific exposure data. The partnership enables district and sub-district level impact scenarios, shifting from generic hazard prediction to localized impact-based forecasting for compound hazards like tropical cyclones.
• University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)coreTechnology or Integration · 8 June 2025Collaborated to conduct SLMC Regional Review and Planning Workshop and Flood Forecasting on a Shoestring Budget (FFSB) Technical Workshop in Pathumthani, Thailand, enhancing regional capacity for flood forecasting and last-mile communication.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Organization for Migration (IOM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2024Commissioned by UNDP to conduct Downscaled Climate Risk Assessment for Hela and Southern Highlands Provinces, Papua New Guinea, under the UN Peacebuilding Fund project. The assessment supports gender-transformational conflict prevention interventions and guides provincial development planning.
• Save the Children and Mahideb Jubo Somaj Kallayan Somity (MJSKS)programStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2024Joint implementation of El Niño Anticipatory Actions to Drought and Heatwave project in Bangladesh since October 2023. Conducted post-impact assessment on effectiveness of early warning systems and early actions against heat stress impacts on communities.
• CARE Bangladesh (SHOUHARDO III Program)programStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplemented 'Improved Weather and Flood Information System for Community Based Risk and Resource Management' project under USAID-funded SHOUHARDO III program, targeting poor and extreme poor communities in char and haor regions of Bangladesh for climate risk reduction.
• Resilience, Adaptation and Inclusion in Nepal (RAIN) Programme / People in NeedprogramStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination with RAIN Programme (led by People in Need) and Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology to organize Impact-Based Forecasting Orientation and capacity building workshops in municipalities.
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative engagement in organizing Technical Working Group meetings on Impact-Based Forecasting, including partnership with DDPM Thailand. RIMES is accountable to ESCAP Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness.
• South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF) National Meteorological ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative platform with 9 NMHSs of South Asia for developing consensus-based seasonal climate outlooks. RIMES supports the forum sessions and joint preparation of regional climate assessments.
• ASEAN Climate Outlook Forum (ASEANCOF) Working Group and ASMCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizes ASEANCOF sessions with ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), ASEANCOF Working Group, and WMO. Supports development of consensus forecasts for boreal monsoon seasons across ASEAN region.
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in organizing regional climate outlook forums and capacity building programs. WMO provides global frameworks and technical guidance for RIMES regional activities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts): ECMWF produces global numerical weather prediction and increasingly offers impact-based and sectoral forecasting services, including to developing-country partners. Comparable to RIMES as a high-end forecasting institution operating in the same space.
• UK Met Office: UK Met Office is a globally active national meteorological service that delivers forecasting and IBF partnerships across the developing world (e.g., WISER, Weather Science for Services partnerships). Comparable to RIMES as a provider of advanced meteorological and IBF services to government clients.
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO): WMO is the UN system authoritative voice on weather, climate, and water, and RIMES' key institutional partner. Comparable as a global framework body that enables RIMES' regional activities and competes for the same donor pool via the Early Warnings for All initiative.
• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration): NOAA provides weather, climate, and ocean services globally and runs capacity-building programs for developing countries through its international affairs office. Comparable to RIMES as a major public-sector provider of multi-hazard early warning science and services.
• UN ESCAP (Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific): UN ESCAP is RIMES' reporting/oversight body for the Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness. Comparable as a UN regional commission addressing disaster risk and climate, with overlapping Early Warning programmes.

Emerging players

• SMHI (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute): SMHI runs international capacity-building programs (e.g., HYCOS, multi-country hydromet projects) focused on national hydro-meteorological services. Comparable to RIMES in providing technical assistance to NMHSs in developing regions.
• Tomorrow.io: Tomorrow.io is a commercial weather and climate intelligence platform offering impact-based forecasting for governments, agriculture, and utilities. Represents the private-sector competitive pressure RIMES faces as IBF demand grows globally.

Direct peers

• Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC): ADPC is a Bangkok-based regional intergovernmental organization working on disaster risk reduction and resilience across Asia. Highly comparable to RIMES in mandate, governance structure, and regional focus on multi-hazard preparedness.
• International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI): IRI provides climate forecasting and impact-based services to developing countries, particularly in Africa and Asia. Directly comparable to RIMES in the application of climate science to decision support and capacity building for vulnerable regions.
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): IFRC operates the Forecast-based Financing (FbF) and Anticipatory Action programs that consume early warning outputs to trigger pre-agreed financing. Comparable to RIMES as an operational actor in the early warning-to-action value chain in Asia and beyond.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rimes-int

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System (RIMES)