Smart connects Iloilo weather monitoring system
Wednesday, 25 January 2012 00:00
WIRELESS service leader Smart Communications formally turned over five Automated Rain Gauges (ARG) to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 6 for use in the DOST's flood monitoring and disaster preparedness system in Iloilo province. Smart also donated P345,000 to fund the installation of automatic water level sensors in the Aganan river system running through several municipalities. DOST Region 6 has also tapped Smart to provide wireless connectivity to its ARGs installed across the region. All the five rain monitoring equipment will use Smart SIM cards to regularly transmit data from remote sites straight to DOST's headquarters for study and analysis.
"We are happy to partner with the DOST in order to help improve the disaster preparedness capabilities of the region. We are also glad to be DOST Region 6's service provider of choice in making sure critical information like rainfall and river level data gets collected and transmitted on time," said Ramon Isberto, head of Smart's Public Affairs Group. In an interview during the inauguration of one of the ARGs in Alimodian, Iloilo, DOST 6 regional director Rowen Gelonga explained that the devices are part of one system that will benefit Iloilo, and eventually the whole country in terms of preparing for disasters and saving lives.
"We hope that over time, we can generate more data and come up with better correlations between rainfall and flooding. With the ARGs in consortium with other equipment plus the water level sensors that we are installing all over the region, the LGUs will be more prepared for adverse weather events," Gelonga said. All the ARGs simultaneously collect rainfall data even without human interference and automatically send data every 15 minutes. The devices are solar powered, making them more resilient to power disruptions during typhoons.
The data transmitted by the ARGs will enable DOST's other equipment and personnel to monitor rainfall volume and duration and estimate its impact on the river levels downstream. The information will eventually help in flood prediction and in the LGU's management of early warning information. Smart is continuously working with government agencies such as Pagasa, DOST and various local governments to improve disaster preparedness with the use of Smart's services and technologies. This project with DOST is part of the company's efforts under its corporate social responsibility and community service program Kabalikat.
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