Japan-donated weather forecasting facility installed in Iloilo
THE JAPAN International Cooperation Agency (JICA) recently launched a ground receiving station in Iloilo to improve short-term weather forecasting accuracy in the country.
“With this capability, the project can help improve weather forecasting and timely sharing of weather information to Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) related agencies and Local Government Units to keep vulnerable communities safe,” JICA Chief Representative Sakamoto Takema said in a press release.
The Iloilo Ground Receiving Station, which can receive satellite images, aims to create a short-term forecasting system using lightning and extreme weather events as observation data in the country.
The project is in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology and Japan’s Hokkaido University.
“Japan and the Philippines share common experiences when it comes to natural disasters. Japan, through JICA, has in fact extended technical expertise with the Philippines through various support modalities such as providing advanced equipment and training Filipinos in Japan respectively,” JICA said. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson
