Illustrative photo (Photo: AFP/VNA) Bangkok (VNA) – A landslide prediction system, developed by Thailand’s National Disaster Warning Centre (NDWC) and the Japanese NEC Corporation, has been on successful test run in the Thai province of Chiang Mai.
The trial took place in the Thai northern province between November 2016 and March 2017. Before setting the system on trial, the NEC Corporation and the NDWC conducted various experiments with a flooding simulation system in Uttaradit province from November 2015 to March 2016.
The landslide prediction system performs a simulation based on meteorological data (observed rainfall and forecast rainfall), topographical data (elevation values, land use purpose) and soil data (soil depth, hydraulic conductivity, porosity, cohesion force, internal friction angle). The data makes it possible to predict the degree of landslide danger.
The system can provide hourly-basis prediction for a period of up to seven days in advance, allowing Thai authority to give timely warning to landslide-prone areas to reduce loss in human and assets.
Even during periods where no disaster is forecast, areas at risk of landslides can be identified as the system can perform simulations using previous rainfall data to prepare hazard map.
Over the past years, Thailand prioritised investment to minimise damage caused by torrential downpours and landslides, frequent phenomenona in the country during July-October.
The Thai Government will further cooperation with Japan to branch out disaster simulation models to enhance capacity in natural calamity forecast.-VNA
VNA
