DOST shines spotlight on data science in disaster risk reduction

Data science is significant in producing geospatial outputs that can be used during times of disaster, the Department of Science and Technology-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) emphasized on Friday.

At the media launch of Remote Sensing and Data Science: DATOS Helpdesk, acting director Dr. Joel Marciano Jr. noted the important of data science in various social applications.

The DATOS project implements remote sensing, geographic information system, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and other data science techniques to produce geospatial outputs. It can provide flood content mapping, crop mapping, object detection and road network identification.

“‘Yung DATOS focuses in particular on using data for remote sensing and data analytics, data science. Para po saan lahat ng ito? We have a lot of societal applications that we need to target,” Marciano said.

“Disaster risk reduction and management, napakalaking bagay ... magmobile ng weather, climate change, tapos even ‘yung pagresearch sa rice ...” he said.

Data mobilization is a new way to categorize typhoons and other natural disasters, Marciano noted.

“Pinoprocess ‘yan, kinukuha ang raw data and raw images from satellite tapos pinaprocess ‘yan ni DATOS ... Anong posibleng output ng processing na ‘yun? Makikita natin ‘yung extent for example ng flooding after dumaan ng bagyo,” he said.

“Gusto natin ipasok sa conversation ng bansa natin, in terms of capability, itong data. Kinocompare namin ‘yan kasi some disasters, when you correlate it, pag malaki ang parating na bagyo mas marami … na data ang kailangan. Para rin mapagaralan ang epekto niyan,” Marciano added. 

The project could also help assess areas which may be hit by drought, said Doctor Enrico Paringit, executive director of the DOST Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development.

“Halimbawa may mga areas na potentially matatamaan ng El Niño, puwede na sila magbigay ng intervention, magbibigay sila ng dagdag na tulong para kahit papaano maibsan ‘yung kanilang paghihirap during the El Niño season,” Paringit said.

“May value na ‘yung information na binibigay ng mga ito para magabayan ‘yung ating mga awtoridad pati na rin ‘yung mga mamamayan kasi ito naman pong pinapakita dito, hindi ito nililingid sa lahat,” Paringit said.

Weather bureau PAGASA earlier issued El Niño Advisory No. 1 as the phenomenon—now felt in the Pacific—is expected to escalate by the end of February or March.

DATOS began in September 2017, with a funding of P80 million.

Information obtained by it will be shared with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and PAGASA to help them in decision-making as well as response actions in times of calamities. —VDS, GMA News