UP to establish Project Noah Center

The University of the Philippines’ (UP) Board of Regent on Thursday announced the approval to establish the Project Noah (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) Center in the UP System.

Frederick Mikhail Farolan, a member of the board, announced the news on his social media page, saying that in the coming weeks, the “U.P. System would continue the work of the Project Noah Team which conclude its engagement with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).”

Project Noah was an initiative that started in UP which was eventually adopted by the DOST. It is a state-run flood and rain forecasting system created due to Typhoon “Sendong” in 2011 as a part of DOST’s Disaster Risk Reduction R&D Program.

“As the DOST-NOAH project period nears its end this February, the action of the U.P. Board of Regents ensures that the multidisciplinary applied and operational researches of Project NOAH, which has been critical to saving lives and property, continue,” Farolan wrote.

“The move also allows government agencies and funding institutions to continue supporting component projects of Project NOAH and for communities and DRRM-involved offices to benefit from the program,” he further explained.

On January 30, DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said that state weather bureau, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), would take over the operations of its Project Noah.

READ: Pagasa to take over Project NOAH

He said that after completing most of its component projects, Project Noah is due for use and adoption, specifically by Pagasa.

“The Project has delivered what it has promised to deliver. The results are useful and should be institutionalized in regular government agencies whose mandates cover these areas,” he added. RAM