DOST to set up weather modeling system

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will make the Philippines benefit from the heavy rainfall brought by monsoon rains and typhoons that visit the country every year.

With the targeted setup of a multi-year weather modeling system using a supercomputer donated by IBM, the DOST hopes to develop expertise in water resource management using weather information gathering systems under its Project NOAH and the Disaster Risk and Exposure Assessment for Mitigation (DREAM) program, said Science Secretary Mario Montejo.

The multi-year weather modeling system was originally scheduled for operation in the last quarter of 2013 but the effort was delayed. Montejo said the system may finally be set up and activated in the first quarter of 2014.

The DOST’s thrust when it sets up the multi-year weather modeling system is to find out how to make the heavy rainfall redound to the benefit of the country.

Using the rainfall forecast for a given region for a period of time – such as from less than a year to a year – could aid the government in assessing where they can gather rainwater through a water reservoir which can irrigate farmland, generate hydroelectric power or provide potable water.

The expertise in water resource management could be shared with other government agencies such as the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and the Local Water Utilities Administration.

“Water is life. We’re lucky, we have enough for our needs,” Montejo told The STAR.

“Through science and technology, we can make it a blessing,” he added. “What is unlucky is the situation in other countries where they have scarce water or inadequate rainfall.”

The DREAM is also expected to come up with a comprehensive and integrated flood early warning system covering the entire country by the end of the program’s phase two in 2016.

The project was originally funded for two years starting from its launch in 2012.