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The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and Thailand’s National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) have announced a grant award valued at $597,000 to assist with the development of the NDWC. The announcement further stated that PDC was selected to conduct technical assistance for the project.
Officially formalized at a signing ceremony on September 15 between the Government of Thailand and the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, the award will help to support the NDWC's "disaster warning systems integration and capacity building."
"As a unique multi-hazard center in the Asia Pacific region with strong science and technology capabilities, PDC is distinctively positioned to support Thailand's further development of disaster analysis and warning dissemination capacities," said PDC Chief Operating Officer Ray Shirkhodai. "We are extremely proud to be continuing our strong relationship with the Thai Government."
The technical assistance will include the deployment of an "operations center technology platform," as well as tools to automate data collection, assessments, and notification systems and procedures. This will include development of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) map viewer, hazard event tracking and collaboration tools, and basic hazard modeling systems.
Click here for an article by the U.S. Department of State and a USTDA News Release.
Click here for more information on PDC's collaboration with Thailand's National Disaster Warning Center.
USTDA’s recent grant award continues ongoing collaboration between PDC and Thailand’s National Disaster Warning Center. Above, PDC’s Dr. George Buck (far right) and Chief Scientist Stanley Goosby (fifth from right) with NDWC staff during a technical assistance visit to Bangkok earlier this year.
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