DOST’s 3D mapping project wins award

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Science and Technology (DOST)’s 3D mapping project called Disaster Risk Assessment, Exposure and Mitigation (DREAM) recently won the Geospatial World Excellence in Policy Implementation Award for 2014.

Science Secretary Mario Montejo and DREAM program leader Enrico Paringit received the award in Geneva, Switzerland on May 8.

The award was given by the Geospatial World Magazine owned by Geospatial Media and Communications (formerly GIS Development).

A component of Project NOAH or the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards, the DREAM project helps mitigate the effects of flooding.

It uses Light Ranging and Detection (LiDAR) technology in collecting precise geospatial data to produce detailed topographic information that will enable the creation of more accurate flood inundation maps.

DREAM-LiDAR is by far the biggest single project that a research unit in the University of the Philippines system has ever undertaken.

Alfredo Mahar Lagmay, executive director of DOST’s Project NOAH, said the government spent only P1.6 billion for the DREAM project.

The project’s main objective was to draw up elevation maps of the 18 major river basins in the country to be used for creating flood inundation maps and for performing on-demand flood simulations.

The DOST has acquired three airborne LiDAR scanners and leased three small fixed-wing aircraft to survey 18 river basins measuring a total of more than 100,000 square kilometers, about one-third of the country.