The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) XI in partnership with Hydrology for Environment, Life and Policy (HELP) Davao Network is implementing a project with International Centre for Water Hazards and Risk Management (I-CHARM), Japan entitled “Science and Technology in Society for Water-related Disaster Risk Reduction Project”. The said project aims to bring Science and Technology into service for society on water-related disaster risk reduction by assuring full functionality of platforms on water and disaster – particularly torrential rainfall, flood, drought, and landslide. One of the major outputs of this project is the development of Davao Online Synthesis System (OSS) as a Platform for Water Resilience and Disasters in the Philippines. The OSS synthesizes hazard, damage, and socio-economic data, knowledge, information, experience, know-how, and technology into the Data Integration and Analysis System (DIAS) and provides relevant stakeholders such as policy makers and disaster managers with capacity for informed decisions.

To ensure proper deployment of the said Platform in Davao Region, the Davao OSS was presented by DOST XI during the Davao Regional Research Development and Innovation Committee (RRDIC XI) 1^st Quarter Meeting last March 7, 2021. The adoption of Davao OSS was endorsed by RRDIC XI to the Regional Development Council XI and earned the approval of RDC XI Resolution 38 s. 2021 which enjoins the local government units, non-government organizations, the academe and the private sector in Davao Region to support the implementation of Davao OSS as platform for water disaster management and resilience in Davao River Basin.

The DOST XI also co-hosted with ICHARM Japan the conduct of online training of Facilitators who will serve as “Science Communicators” and will help in the deployment of the system. With this, twenty-one (21) professionals from the government (DOST, DENR, DPWH, DILG, OCD, and LGU of Davao City), academe (UPMin, AdDU, UIC, DSSC, PWC and USEP), private and business sector (Davao City Water District, Davao Thermo Biotech Corp., and Davao River Initiatives) and the media (PIA XI) went through the first phase of comprehensive e-learning workshops and hands-on training on the use of OSS and translating knowledge into community resilience plan from April 19, 2021 – May 17, 2021. The online workshop aimed to convey the knowledge and techniques on climate change impact and water-related disaster management in Davao River Basin to the key actors in Davao City.

Following this training, a second phase e-Learning Workshop of Davao OSS will be conducted tentatively on June 2021 with the 1^st batch participants. The 2^nd phase training will have four (4) courses, namely: (1) How to Use the OSS; (2) Training on 2D and 3D Flood Hazard Mapping; (3) Training on Contingency Planning; and (4) Communication Planning