We are excited to announce that the UPRI-NOAH Center won the best innovation pitch in the recently concluded Preparedness and Response Excellence in the Philippines (PREP) Innovation Challenge, organized by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This challenge seeks to identify and scale innovative and cost-effective solutions to enhance disaster preparedness and food security for vulnerable populations in the Philippines.
UPRI-NOAH’S entry was selected as one of the four winners out of 64 project submissions for support and development by the UN World Food Programme and USAID. UPRI-NOAH Center’s winning pitch, Impact-Based Flood Forecasting, was recognized for its innovative integration of scientific data and community-based flood reports. In partnership with Dr. Gerry Bagtasa of Weather Manila, the project utilizes rainfall forecast data to improve the accuracy and timeliness of flood forecasting. By combining scientific insights with localized information from affected communities at the barangay level, this project provides more precise early warnings 24 hours in advance. This lead time enables communities and humanitarian organizations to undertake anticipatory action, thereby enhancing resilience and potentially saving lives during extreme weather events.
The PREP Forum, held last September 25, 2024, at Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA, marked the beginning of our collaboration with WFP-USAID. During the forum, UPRI-NOAH Center Director Dr. Lagmay presented our project and won the Best Innovation Pitch, as voted by the audience. The audience, which included representatives from local government units (LGUs), humanitarian organizations, and other stakeholders, had the opportunity to engage in a Q&A session after the presentations, allowing for in-depth discussions and feedback on the innovations.
We congratulate the other winning teams for their outstanding projects: Bio-Engineered Vetiver Grass Seawalls by TABI, Weather Protect Insurance by CLIMBS, and ClimGrid by PAGASA. Each project brought unique and innovative approaches to tackling disaster resilience and climate adaptation, highlighting the diverse strategies being explored to address the challenges faced by vulnerable communities.
This achievement underscores UPRI’s commitment to advancing disaster resilience and climate adaptation in the Philippines. We are eager to collaborate with WFP-USAID to further develop this project and strengthen the resilience of flood-prone communities. This partnership aims to enhance early warning systems and provide actionable information to the most vulnerable sectors.
Stay tuned for updates on this exciting initiative!