OREANDA-NEWS. NEC Corporation has been selected to provide the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology with a wide-area disaster prevention system to detect volcanic and seismic activity by using seismic intensity meters and tide indicators, as well as offering disaster countermeasures. This project is supported by grant aid from the Japanese government's program for Improvement of Equipment for Disaster Risk Management.

The system, scheduled to begin operating in February 2015, gathers sensor data from the strong-motion seismographs and tide indicators located throughout the Philippines at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology via satellite-based communication (VSAT). The system will enable the Institute to constantly monitor volcanic and seismic activity and to promptly convey the information to the relevant ministries and agencies in the event of an earthquake.

In recent years, NEC has been emphasizing the importance of its "Solutions for Society," and its firefighting and disaster prevention solutions occupy the largest share in Japan's domestic market. The company has also been focusing on the international development of the technologies and know-how in this field, having recently won an order for a cloud-based disaster and emergency information system in Taiwan. NEC aims to continue building on this experience and to enhance the global presence of its firefighting and disaster prevention solutions in the future.

Since the Philippines lie on the circum-Pacific seismic belt, like the Japanese archipelago, the country often suffers from damage caused by active volcanoes and seismic activity. The country therefore has an urgent need to reduce the impact of natural disasters and to improve its capacity to respond to disasters through the enhancement of earthquake and tsunami surveillance systems and the real-time provision of related information.

The wide-area disaster prevention system gathers sensor data recorded by the strong-motion seismographs and tide indicators located throughout the Philippines in the servers at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology via satellite-based communication (VSAT).

More specifically, seismic intensity meters will be located in approximately 40 locations and tide indicators will be located in approximately 20 locations all over the Philippines, and these sensors will use photovoltaic solar cells so that they can send data constantly. The data on oscillation and the tides will be gathered in real time, enabling the constant monitoring of volcanic and seismic activity.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology aims to reduce the impact of natural disasters by communicating with the relevant ministries and agencies immediately after an earthquake or tsunami is detected and making use of changes in the sensor data to predict volcanic eruptions.

NEC hopes to make further contributions to the enhancement of disaster countermeasures in the Philippines by proposing a mechanism that will make an automatic notification when there is any abnormal change in the data. This can be accomplished through coordination between this system and the systems of the other Philippine ministries and agencies, and a warning service for citizens.

Based on its Mid-term Management Plan 2015, the NEC Group is working towards the safety, security, efficiency and equality of society. Going forward, NEC aims to develop solutions for a wide range of social issues, as a company that creates value for society through the promotion of its "Solutions for Society," which provide advanced social infrastructure utilizing ICT.