DOST unveils national flood monitoring plan

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will introduce a locally-developed scientific flood warning program, the agency said Friday, January 13.

The National Flood Monitoring, Forecasting, and Mitigation Program is an “integrated, comprehensive system” that will address the need for a flood warning system in all of the country’s major river systems and watersheds, the DOST said in a press release Friday.

“The National Flood Monitoring Program is government’s commitment toward a more effective and efficient disaster mitigation and monitoring system,” Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo said.

The flood management program is composed of the Disaster Risk Exposure, Assessment, and Mitigation program (DREAM); the FLOODNET; sensors development; and weather media, the department said.

Under the DREAM program, the DOST will acquire state-of-the-art equipment for accurate weather forecasting, mapping, and improved disaster response capabilities. President Aquino recently ordered the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release P1.6 billion for the said effort.

The DOST has yet to release details of the other components of the flood monitoring program.

Montejo presented the project during an interagency meeting this week, the DOST said.

The program comes after the deadly aftermath of tropical storm Sendong (Washi), which caused major flooding in parts of Northern Mindanao and Western Visayas, in particular in the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, and Dumaguete. – Rappler.com