Geosciences Division carries out VRA, coastal geohazard assessment

By: LRSB

The Geosciences Division (GSD) of Mines and Geosciences Bureau R0II recently carried out a Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (VRA) and Coastal Geohazard Mapping and Assessment (CGMA) in the municipalities of Basco, Mahatao, Ivana and Uyugan in Batanes Province from March 20-30, 2017.

The VRA is one of the major programs of the Bureau to identify the geohazards present in the area and to quantify its risks to generate maps on vulnerability and risk relating on the impact of geohazards on the entire country, along with this is the updating of the 1:10,000 previously surveyed areas.

VRA also aims to provide information as critical inputs to the regional, provincial, and local preparedness, management and mitigation plans, and land use plans.

The team gathered the necessary shapefiles of the Local Government Unit (LGU) together with the population data, also conducted was landslide inventory and risk elements inventory.

Landslides and flooding due to recent typhoons were prioritized during the assessment.

Meanwhile, the CGMA aims to identify the geohazard present in the coastal areas, to determine the elements at risk to such geohazards and to describe the behaviour of the shoreline through time.

The results of the CGMA will provide substantial information regarding the coastal areas that are prone to erosion or accretion.