UP adopts Project NOAH

MANILA, Philippines - The University of the Philippines has decided to adopt Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazard) after the government decided to terminate the flagship research program on disaster prevention and mitigation of the previous administration.

“In a sense, Project NOAH is coming home,” UP president Danilo Concepcion said Thursday after the Board of Regents, the university’s highest policy-making body, decided to adopt the program.

“It has literally been a lifesaver for millions of Filipinos threatened by natural disasters like floods, landslides, and storm surges. It deserves a new lease on life, and UP is happy to welcome it into its fold,” he added.

Created in the aftermath of Typhoon Sendong in 2011, Project NOAH is composed of various disaster mitigation and prevention component projects funded by the Department of Science and Technology.

Last month, Project NOAH executive director Mahar Lagmay warned that the Philippines may lose dozens of disaster scientists and researchers when a major component of the program is terminated by the end of February.