Friday, March 29, 2024

State-of-the-art data center for ‘Yolanda’ rehab unveiled

The Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources jointly launched last May 17 the Yolanda Rehabilitation Scientific Information Center (YoRInfoCenter) to provide scientific data to national agencies and humanitarian organizations concerned with the rehabilitation of areas in Eastern Visayas ravaged by typhoon Yolanda.

DOST secretary Mario Montejo demonstrates the use of a hazard map, particularly in rebuilding the Yolanda-ravaged Tacloban City. The map was acquired and processed by the DOST-UP project "Disaster Risk and Exposure Assessment for Mitigation?
DOST secretary Mario Montejo demonstrates the use of a hazard map, particularly in rebuilding the Yolanda-ravaged Tacloban City. The map was acquired and processed by the DOST-UP project “Disaster Risk and Exposure Assessment for Mitigation?

YoRInfoCenter will serve as a one-stop shop that would provide government agencies and private organizations, local or foreign, with the latest satellite imageries and high resolution hazard maps that can be used as references in the rehabilitation effort.

It was launched at the UP Diliman National Engineering Center where it would be housed and manned by experts from the DOST Project Noah and its component called Dream (Disaster Risk and Exposure Assessment for Mitigation), and the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

“We are providing data like the latest satellite imageries and high resolution topographic maps for Yolanda areas,” DOST secretary Mario Montejo said.

“We are also providing multi-hazard maps on floods and areas that could be prone to landslides and storm surges. On top of that we have experts that can be consulted about these datasets.” Montejo added.

“The DOST and the DENR have been using these information for the Yolanda effort but we have been getting numerous inquiries from many groups for these data. That’s why we have decided to come up with this center as a one-stop shop,” Montejo said.

“Indeed, there are many humanitarian groups working for the rehabilitation, and they would need our scientific data especially to determine hazard zones, in their effort to support government in building back better,” he said.

The DOST, through the Dream program has launched earlier this year the Satellite-based Monitoring and Assessment of Rehabilitation in Typhoon-affected Regions (Smarter Visayas) where it acquired the latest satellite imageries to assess damage of Yolanda.

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