The Philippines have always been at the centre of natural calamities like tsunamis, typhoons, earthquakes etc., leading to large scale devastation and loss of human lives. In order to curtail the losses incurred by climate related disasters and forewarn the vulnerable communities against impending calamity, the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) was launched by the Department of Science and Technology, Philippines (DOST). NOAH mission is to adopt multi-disciplinary approach for the development of systems, tools, and other technologies to help in disaster mitigation and prevention. In its initial assignment, NOAH focused on flood management in Marikina Watershed. Streaming data from water level sensors and rain gauges, graphical satellite radar and Doppler data forecasts, flood hazard maps overlain on Google Maps and translated rain intensity and volume measurements in terms of warning and evacuation level alarms are provided online. NOAH is presently working on nine component projects including Doppler System Development, Hydromet Sensors Development, Flood NET-Flood Modeling Project, Landslide Sensors Development Project, Enhancing Geo-hazards Mapping through LIDAR, Storm Surge Inundation Mapping Project, DREAM-LIDAR 3-D Mapping Project, etc. The Project NOAH website comes with a Google Zoom tool along with the STREET, TERRAIN, and HYBRID buttons for selecting the type of maps that the viewer likes. The special feature of the website is Multi-functional Transport Satellite Image (MTSAT)- an animated image that show cloud formation above the country and in the surrounding seas. Rainfall, temperature, pressure, and humidity contour maps show the weather condition anywhere in the Philippines. The 3, 6, 12 and 24-hour rainfall contours show areas in the Philippines experiencing heavy downpour. The percent chance of rain contour allows viewing of areas that are most likely to experience rainfall, every hour or up to four hours in advance.
International e-Gov Update
The Philippines employs weather tracking tools to deal with climate adversaries
From January 2015 • Informatics, National Informatics Centre