Project NOAH receives ₱1B for AI-powered flood forecasting 

Nearly a decade after the government ended the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) phase of Project NOAH, the disaster-monitoring program is receiving ₱1 billion in government funding to strengthen its artificial intelligence-powered flood forecasting and real-time hazard monitoring.

​The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released the funding to the University of the Philippines (UP) System on August 24, with ₱935 million allocated for research services and ₱65 million for general management and supervision of the program.

​The funds will also support new information and communications technology, digital and scientific equipment, specialized technical personnel, and operational support systems.

​The investment comes as parts of Luzon and Metro Manila continue to deal with flooding following weeks of heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones. The timing puts greater attention on systems designed to provide authorities with critical information before floodwaters become life-threatening.

Project NOAH was launched by DOST in 2012 as a program aimed at using science and technology for disaster prevention and mitigation. Its DOST phase ended in February of 2017, after its research outputs were turned over to agencies including PAGASA, PHIVOLCS, NAMRIA, and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

The end of the DOST-funded program, however, did not mean the technology disappeared. In March 2017, UP established the NOAH Center, taking over from the DOST project and continuing work on climate action and disaster risk reduction.

At that time, the planned shutdown drew concern from Project NOAH officials. In a January 2017 report, Project NOAH Executive Director Mahar Lagmay told GMA News that the program was set to be shut down and warned about the loss of trained scientists and personnel who had worked on the project.

Now operating under the UP Resilience Institute, Project NOAH is being expanded with technologies that include AI-enhanced modeling, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) mapping and data analytics. 

These tools are designed to generate real time hazard assessments and predictive flood scenarios that can help government agencies and local communities anticipate risks.

Project NOAH Executive Director Mahar Lagmay said the upgraded system could also help the government assess proposed flood-control projects before billions of pesos are spent on them. 

The ₱1 billion allocation marks the return of significant national government funding to a program that was once scheduled to end, now with a mandate to use newer technologies to help authorities determine where flooding may occur, who may be at risk and what action can be taken before disaster strikes.