University of the Philippines (UP) scientists developed an impact-based flood forecasting system that can predict flooding throughout the Philippines.
The tool can forecast flooding in specific areas based on accumulated rainfall forecasts (predicted total rainfall) and 100-year rain return flood hazard maps, which show areas prone to severe flooding through historical data.
Funded by the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, the system releases more accurate predictions by adjusting global weather models to match the country’s specific geography and weather patterns.
UP Diliman College of Science National Institute of Geological Sciences Professor and UP Resilience Institute Executive Director Alfredo Mahar Lagmay developed the system together with scientists from the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) Center and Dr. Gerry Bagtasa of the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology.
“This system can determine whether a neighborhood is likely to be affected by a major flood event 24 hours in advance… When accessed on the NOAH website, areas prone to flooding due to severe weather are shown in map view or tabular format, with the number of potentially affected people listed down to barangay level,” Lagmay explained.
“The public can contribute information through the LyfSaver app, allowing Filipinos to report floods in their area,” he added, noting the system was able to forecast the flooding in Davao, Palawan, and Borongan this year.
The Impact-Based Flood Forecasting System has been available for public use since it was released in 2024.