Namyangju Weighs Data-Driven Disaster Safety Platform for Residents

Namyangju, a city in Gyeonggi Province, has moved to build disaster safety administration using science and technology data.

According to Namyangju on Thursday, the city held a meeting Monday at the mayor's office with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) to review the adoption of a disaster safety platform. The meeting was arranged to discuss a data-based rapid response system amid growing disaster risks such as localized heavy rain and urban flooding driven by climate change.

Namyangju Mayor Choi Hyun-deok, the city's citizen safety officer, and KISTI officials attended the meeting.

The core of the discussion was the applicability of "ShieldON," a disaster safety platform developed by KISTI. Participants reviewed plans to introduce customized functions suited to Namyangju's conditions, including a real-time flood prediction feature. They also shared ways to utilize disaster safety data and link the platform with existing systems.

Using this meeting as an opportunity, the city will review the feasibility of establishing a data-based decision-making system in the disaster safety field. It also plans to explore ways to respond quickly to disaster situations such as flooding.

At the same time, the city discussed cooperation plans to build a "Safe Commute System," a key task of the ninth popularly elected local government term.

The city said it will place residents' lives and safety as the top priority of its administration, and strengthen safety-focused governance that predicts disaster risks in advance and responds preemptively.

"Since prediction in advance and rapid response are more important than anything else in disasters, we will carefully review the adoption of a science and technology-based platform," Namyangju Mayor Choi Hyun-deok said. "We will continue to cooperate with relevant agencies so that we can build a disaster response system that provides practical help for residents' safety."