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