To: 

      LVR

From:   RCBT

Re:       Initial Comments for Flood Ultra-Cognitive Dendrite (“FLUD”)

Date:    26 March 2021

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This is in reference to your request to comment on the notion of the Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Office (DRRM) in procuring Flood Ultra-Cognitive Dendrite (FLUD). At the outset, Flood
Ultra-Cognitive Dendrite (FLUD) is a flood monitoring and forecasting platform for Urban Deployment
developed by Interactive Coventry Ltd, in collaboration with Coventry University and a Malaysian
industrial partner. It aims to develop an intelligent and cost-effective automatic monitoring, and
forecasting platform for flooding in urban environments and minimize the impact of flash floods through
developing an economically sustainable and effective technical approach to flood-alert systems.

The project’s proposed solution will provide accurate, and timely predictions enabling
corresponding authorities to carry out pre-emptive actions in order to minimize the devastating effects of
severe urban flooding, and support effective decision making in matters such as installation and
maintenance of the necessary infrastructure, allocation of resources, traffic network management etc.

While the overall objective of the project is in line with the goals and targets of the City
Government of Makati’s Early Warning System, purchasing or availing such service and equipment is not
an ideal way to allocate our project’s limited funds. Some of the FLUD’s deployment framework overlaps
with the existing projects we have, such as Makati Early Warning System Enhancement project with the
Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical
Services (DOST – PAGASA) and the ongoing proposal of our local Department of Engineering and
Public Works (DEPW) master drainage plan. Those projects will provide technical insights from
hydrologist and other experts for the City’s river, watershed, and drainage system.

FLUD uses different sensors and equipment in acquiring data for monitoring and predicting
floods in high risk urban areas. With the instruments currently installed in the city (Automatic Weather
Station, Automatic Rain Gauges, and Closed Circuit Televisions) and the EWS enhancement proposals
line up (Public Alert System, and water level sensor) we can develop our own integrated system using
fuzzy logic approach that can match up with FLUD. Instead of purchasing a new equipment, it is more
cost –effective and efficient to establish a successful data analytics unit. The unit shall be composed of
different teams. _________________________. Presently, DRRM lacks ____________________. The
funds that would have purchased the FLUD may be used to either hired expert hydrologist, _______,
and_____ or invest training to learn the missing roles of the unit. Therefore, with proper guidance from
our hired experts and a successful data analytics unit who can develop a flood monitoring system that can
predict future floods, and discover patterns and causal factors of extreme flooding phenomena is more
beneficial to the DRRM.