UP adopts Project NOAH

MANILA, Philippines - The University of the Philippines (UP) has adopted the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) Project, an offshoot of the flagship research program on disaster prevention and mitigation of the previous administration that was terminated by the government earlier this year.

The UP Board of Regents, the highest-policy making body of the university, approved the creation of the NOAH Center for climate actions and disaster risk reduction management in UP.

The center will be headed by Project NOAH executive director Mahar Lagmay. It will be attached to the office of the university president and will be based at the UP National Institute of Geological Studies in Diliman, Quezon City.

“The center aims to assist Filipinos in climate change actions and disaster risk reduction by providing timely, reliable and readily accessible data and information, such as hazard risk maps, as a basis for action by warning and response agencies against possible disasters that may occur from floods, typhoons and other natural hazards,” UP said in a statement.

The center will be tasked to generate science-based information, models and applications useful for disaster risk reduction and management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, resource management, water conservation and planning, land use and local planning, urban development and engineering designs as well as other similar mainstreaming actions, research, development and extension services.

It can also participate in the pre-disaster risk assessment system of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and provide technical assistance and capacity building to the Climate Change Commission.

Created in the aftermath of Typhoon Sendong in 2011, Project NOAH is composed of disaster mitigation and prevention component projects funded by the Department of Science and Technology.