The Philippine government, in collaboration with the UK, has launched a valuable program to reduce the risk from natural disasters and potentially save millions in lives and property.

Together with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the University of the Philippines (UP), the Nationwide Disaster Risk and Exposure for Mitigation (Dream) program was officially unveiled on November 23 at UP-Diliman in Quezon City.

The Dream Program will be a vital cog in the forecasting and early warning system being set up by the Philippine Government to address disaster events. It is part of the DOST’s Project Noah or Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards, touted as the Philippine Government’s high-technology response to flood disasters.

“We are delighted to be working together with the Philippine Government in developing an effective system that will help save lives and property. The Lidar [Light Detection and Ranging] system is already making a difference in the UK, and we are optimistic that this technology will make a genuine contribution to the Philippine government’s efforts to decrease the risk from natural disasters,” said Steph Lysaght, First Secretary at the British Embassy, who was present at the launch.

On November 22, the Dream Program held the maiden flight of the airborne Lidar mapping system at Clark Airbase.

Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo witnessed the ceremonial flight, and thanked the UK government for providing additional expertise to the program through the British Embassy.

Montejo said the Lidar technology will enable them to make more accurate flood models that will be the basis to warn communities in advance of potentially deadly floods.

“Together with the other components of Project Noah like the deployment locally made Hydromel sensors and rainfall forecast modelling, we are slowly building the infrastructure of how we will be able to issue at least a six-hour warning to vulnerable communities against floods and other rain induced hazards for entire country,” he added.

Lidar is a technology that offers three-dimensional laser scanning and mapping. It has been widely used in the UK over the past 10 years for both airborne and ground surveying as part of flood risk assessment work and forestry management. The Lidar technology will help assess the vulnerability of the Philippines to natural disasters. It will also help with forestry management and planning, flood modelling and coastal management, as well as identifying possible renewable energy opportunities such as wind, hydro and geothermal.

To support the use of the Lidar system, DOST and UP entered into a knowledge sharing agreement with the United Kingdom’s Environment Agency (EA). Two Lidar experts from the EA Geomatics Group, Alastair Duncan and Patrick Hogarth, are currently in the country to share their expertise and experience in Lidar data processing with local technical specialists. This phase of the program is funded by the UK government through the British Embassy.