Philippines: Integrated river watch system for disaster risk reduction planned
Davao City - An integrated river monitoring system is being planned based on an earlier prototype river sensor system developed by a team of engineering students from Ateneo de Davao.
During the weekly Club 888 media forum at Marco Polo Davao Hotel, Bert Barriga, executive-vice president of the ICT-Davao, an umbrella group of Information Communication Technology (ICT) stakeholders in the city said that they wanted to create a proactive solution in disaster risk reduction.
He said the project entails a river monitoring system placed in the upstream areas of major rivers in Davao City; these are equipped with sensors fitted with Global Positioning System and GSM for message relay. Once the sensors detect an increase in river level, it will send out an SMS message to warn of the impending danger. Under the concept, affected residents are warned an hour before a river flashflood could strike their community.
The current river monitoring system was developed by engineering students in Ateneo de Davao in 2010 which was funded by Smart Communications Incorporated as part of its Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP). The river sensors were placed in various upstream portions of the Davao River.
However, Barriga said the sensors were stolen or looted with only one sensor left untouched. The group said plans to reinstall the systems and upgrade it on an integrated communications platform. Barriga says that the sensors do not have precious metals which are of value to thieves. He urged the community to protect the equipment.
Among the plans is using an online portal developed by Mynd Consulting, an IT firm based in Davao City. An existing portal called the OFW watch which allows the wide dissemination of messages coming from river sensor data through mobile phones or through social networking sites such as Facebook.
Barriga said they will be customizing the Mynd’s platform. Under the scheme, any ordinary citizen who has a cellular phone can receive the data coming from the river sensors.
Having an android phone is much better as the river sensors can transmit more data and parameters like on-site real time videos or pictures. Barriga said that data from river sensors can be directly received by the concerned citizens, barangay officials, the City Hall and the Central 911.
According to Barriga they will be presenting the plan to the City Mayor who has expressed interest in the river watch system.
The plan through earlier forewarning aims to prevent a repeat of the disastrous June 28 Matina Pangi River tragedy where more than 30 persons were killed after the Matina Pangi River overflowed and the recent Tropical Storm Sendong calamity which struck the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.