REGIONAL WEATHER BUREAU. Engr. Socrates Paat Jr., chief of the Northern Luzon PAGASA Regional Services Division, in an undated photo. Paat said that with the aid of the South Korean government, PAGASA will install an artificial intelligence-based flood warning system in Laoag River. (PNA Photo by Leilanie G. Adriano)
LAOAG CITY – The weather bureau will install an artificial intelligence-based flood warning system along the Laoag River basin here to boost local communities’ disaster preparedness during calamities.
Engineer Socrates Paat Jr., chief of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Northern Luzon Regional Services Division, said on Friday preparations are now ongoing for the implementation of the project to be funded by the South Korean government worth around PHP200 million.
"By September, we are expecting our Korean partners to conduct a more detailed survey for the installation of smart equipment in strategic areas within river channels of the Laoag River basin,” he said in an interview.
Paat added that once the project is completed, people can access the system and cascade vital information to the grassroots levels even without an Internet connection.
He said flood forecasting is a key aspect in aiding disaster risk reduction efforts as at least 20 typhoons visit the country every year.
“There’s a need to prepare for this hazard by way of installing equipment and improving communication,” he said citing the smart flood warning system as the first of its kind in this northern part of Luzon.
The project is part of the national government’s efforts to modernize the country’s flood forecasting and warning system as floods continue to be one of the country’s biggest hazards.
The Laoag Padsan River basin is among the 18 major river basins in the country. (PNA)
