Bgy. Nangka, Marikina City
06 July 2012
President Benigno S. Aquino III led the launching of a nationwide disaster mitigation system by the government called Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) at the Nangka Del Covered Court in Balubad Settlement Phase II of Bgy. Nangka in Marikina City.
The President accessed the project NOAH website http://noah.dost.gov.ph to mark the ceremonial launching of a responsive program designed to address serious challenges brought by extreme hazard events like Typhoon Ondoy, which fully inundated the city in 2009.
“Ang Project NOAH po ang magsisilbing arko ng mga Pilipino laban sa delubyo. Tutuldukan na natin ang nakasanayang pagtitiis tuwing tag-ulan. Hindi na puwede ang “bahala na,” sawa na tayo sa kaba. Sa tama at sapat na kaalaman, sasanayin natin ang mga Pilipino sa puspusang kahandaan,” President Aquino said in his remarks.
According to the President, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has already set a target to install in 18 major river basins nationwide high-resolution flood hazard maps, 600 locally-produced automated rain gauges and 400 hundred water-level monitoring sensors before 2013 ends.
“Layon ng proyektong ito na makapaglaan ng sapat na oras sa pagbibigay-babala sa baha, lalo na sa mga komunidad na malapit sa labingwalo nating major river basins. Gamit ang lokal na teknolohiya at mga makabagong kasangkapan, bibigyang-lakas at kakayahan natin ang mga lokal at pambansang pamahalaan upang higit pang mapabuti ang kanilang operasyon at pagkilos tuwing darating ang malakas na pag-ulan,” he further added.
Project NOAH has eight components that will address different needs in various emergency situations. These include Hydromet sensors development, Disaster Risk Exposure Assessment for Mitigation (DREAM), Flood Information Network (FLOODNET), Weather Hazard Information Project (WHIP), Enhancing Geo-hazards Mapping through LIDAR, Local Development of Doppler Radar Systems (LaDDeRS), Coastal Hazards and Storm Surge Assessment and Mitigation (CHASSAM), and Landslide Sensors Development Project.
With the theme “Siyensya at Teknolohiya Kontra Sakuna,” the launching of Project NOAH is also part of the celebration of the National Typhoon and Flood Awareness Week.
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