Aerial shot of the province of which was heavily damaged by super typhoon Yolanda (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – To make roads, bridges and flood control projects will be weather-resilient, the Department of Public Works and Highways will partner with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the University of the Philippines (UP) Training Center for Applied Geodesy and Photogrammetry.
DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson said they are learning from the destruction caused by the southwest monsoon, last year’s Bohol quake, and cyclones such as Sendong, Pablo and Yolanda.
“Intensive trainings for DPWH concerned personnel shall be conducted nationwide to teach them on how to use these available technologies as basis for planning and monitoring,” the DPWH said.
Singson directed the DPWH Planning Service, Project Management Office for Major Flood Control projects, regional directors and planning officers and district engineering offices to maximize the high-resolution flood hazard maps, landslide hazard maps, Digital Surface Model, Digital Surface Model and other planning tools.
The DPWH recently held a briefing attended by key officials, along with Dr. Alfredo Mahar Lagmay, who explained DOST’s Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (Project NOAH).
Lagmay explained NOAH’s component projects such as Hydromet Sensors Development, DREAM-LIDAR 3-D Mapping Project, Flood NET-Flood Management Modeling Project, Hazards Information Media, Strategic Communication Intervention, Disaster Management using WebGIS, Enhancing Geo-hazards Mapping through LIDAR, Doppler System Development, Landslide Sensors Development Project, Storm Surge Inundation Mapping Project, and Weather Information – Integration for System Enhance (WISE).
Also, Lagmay said these tools or data sets are useful in future planning of infrastructure projects for infra agencies.
He added the designed models or maps are accurate, reliable and detailed in relation to hazards.
Meanwhile, Lagmay cited the DPWH for providing historical data on water levels in the country’s rivers, saying this allowed the DOST to install more sophisticated water level sensors.
For his part, Dr. Eric Paringit of UP-DREAM project explained the details and possible usage of Disaster Risk and Exposure Assessment for Mitigation (DREAM) data sets in designing infrastructure suited to the localities.
Paringit also said the DPWH Pangasinan third district engineering office is already using the flood hazard map in planning flood control projects along Aloragat river in Pangasinan. (MNS)