The University of the Philippines Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (UP NOAH) urges netizens to photograph flooded streets to support disaster risk reduction in the country.
On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, UP NOAH Executive Director Mahar Lagmay appealed for the crowdsourcing project on social media, as Typhoon Carina intensified the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat), causing widespread flooding across the Philippines.
The latest DOST PAGASA report warns of massive flooding in several areas:
- RED WARNING LEVEL: Metro Manila, Rizal, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Zambales.
- Hazard: Serious flooding in flood-prone areas.
- ORANGE WARNING LEVEL: Tarlac.
- Hazard: Flooding is still threatening.
- YELLOW WARNING LEVEL: Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Nueva Ecija, and Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta, Real, Mauban, Sampaloc).
- Hazard: Flooding in flood-prone areas.
“Assignment po sa mga nasa bahay at naiinip. Baka puwede niyo po gawin ito tapos ipost sa Facebook (Assignment for those at home and feeling bored. Maybe you can do this and post it on Facebook),” Lagmay wrote, sharing screenshots of UP NOAH maps and flooded streets.
“We will archive your posts for validation of flood models for future use in disaster risk reduction efforts of the country. Please tag UP NOAH,” said the disaster scientist of the internationally awarded Hazard Maps Project that aids government efforts in public safety by warning Filipinos about imminent natural disasters and how to respond for safety.
Project NOAH, initially jointly developed and run by UP and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) until 2017, is now known as UP NOAH, the core component of the UP Resilience Institute, the state university’s comprehensive program to aid in the nation’s disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation by providing data that can be used for science-based decisions. The multidisciplinary research center is based within the UP National Institute of Geological Sciences and is directly under the UP Office of the President.
LEARN MORE: How UP NOAH helps build Filipino resilience against disaster
Good News Pilipinas interviewed Dr. Mahar Lagmay about the value of crowdsourced photos for disaster risk reduction.
“If we are able to validate the flood models with crowdsourced accounts, then we are more confident with the methods that we are using to locate flood-prone areas,” Lagmay shared.
How to Submit Your Flood Photos:
- Visit the UP NOAH website on desktop or mobile.
- Locate the flood photo’s location on the NOAH site.
- Screenshot the flood hazard map.
- Place the flood photo beside the hazard map screenshot.
- Post on social media.
- Tag UP NOAH on Facebook or @nababaha on X.
Here’s a Video Guide on Using the UP NOAH Hazard Map:
Disaster scientist Mahar Lagmay has called on netizens to take photos of flooded areas and screenshot the locations on the UP NOAH Hazard Map to help disaster risk reduction efforts. Watch the video guide by @nababaha Site link https://t.co/6EGqE4H284
Report via @GoodNewsPinas_ https://t.co/8WRFQKavlt— Angie Quadra Balibay (@AngieQBalibay) July 24, 2024
Help improve disaster risk reduction efforts in the Philippines. Share this article to spread the word and encourage more people to participate in UP NOAH’s initiative!
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