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Project NOAH , which stands for Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards, was launched last Friday by no less than President Benigno Aquino III to signify the government's nationwide response for disaster prevention and mitigation using advanced technology to enhance current geo-hazard vulnerability maps.

In response to the President Aquino's call for a better disaster prevention, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) put in place a responsive program that specifically allows Philippines' warning agencies to be able to provide a 6 hour lead-time warning to vulnerable communities against impending floods and to use advanced technology to enhance current geo-hazard vulnerability maps. The initiative took the form of a website that enables the public to see weather developments, the amount of rainfall and potential flooding in a particular area.

Through the collaboration of various government agencies, the website is able to provide on-time warnings on severe weather from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. Previously-installed weather monitoring equipment in the country such as rain gauges, flood-monitoring units and Doppler radars are also utilized by Project NOAH to measure the amount of rain that would fall in a certain area. Project NOAH will also issue warnings related to geohazards from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

The launch was held in Marikina City-- one of the worst hit by floods during the onslaught of Tropical Storm "Ondoy" in Metro Manila back in September 2009.

Snapshot of Project NOAH