Bookmark with:

              

A slope posing danger to the community along the National Highway in Mangagoy, Bislig, Surigao del Sur after a heavy rain experience sometime early January 2009.

A landslide area in Wilson, San Jose, Province of Dinagat Islands. Materials are continuously transported downstream especially during rains and obstructing the National Highway which posing danger to traffic and pedestrian.

The Geohazards Mapping and Assessment Program of the DENR-MGB is an important component of the government’s disaster management and mitigation program in order to reduce the loss of lives and properties brought about by natural disasters.

It involves both the identification of areas of the country that are prone or susceptible to various geologic hazards, like rain-induced landslides, floods, flash-floods, storm surge, coastal erosion, sea-level rise and other natural events, and dissemination of these information to increase public awareness.  The output of the program is equally important for land use planning (CLUPs), land development and the emerging concern on climate-change adaptation.

The program has five components:

1.  Remote sensing analysis generates data using air photographs, satellite (LandSat, ERTS) and radar images to identify features thatcould indicate unstable areas or impending physical events;

2.  Actual conduct of field surveys wherein on-site conditions are documented and ground data are generated. Historical background of past disasters or natural events are also noted.  Indicative signs of ground instability and pending events are duly recorded;

3. Data generated during the field survey are stored, processed and managed under a GIS platform for ease of handling and retrieval. The resulting database is continually updated as recent data are generated;

4.  Preparation of geohazards susceptibility maps in the 1:50,000 scale for rain-induced landslides and floods/flash floods on the basis of all available data.  More detailed maps of 1:10,000 scale are also prepared for specific critical areas of concern although only limited coverage had so far been achieved;

5.  Information disseminationthrough the conduct of seminars, workshops, and other informationcampaigns to explain the nature of geologic hazards and the use of the maps.  IEC materials like posters, pamphlets, video discs (DVDs andVCDs), flyers and signages are also provided to various stakeholders.

Maps and other IEC materials shall be posted soon.