HR Wallingford which is leading the Dengue Model forecasting Satellite-based System (D-MOSS) project has won Not-for-Profit Award in second annual GEO SDG Awards.
HR Wallingford is an independent, not-for-profit, research organisation that carries out consultancy and research in early warning systems, earth observation technologies, climate change, climate resilience and the water environment worldwide.
HR Wallingford is leading the Dengue Model forecasting Satellite-based System (D-MOSS) project, which is funded by the UK Space Agency’s International Partnership Programme.
Dengue is the fastest spreading mosquito-borne disease in the world today. Vietnam has suffered some major outbreaks of dengue fever in recent years. Until this project, Vietnam had no system in place to forecast the probability of dengue outbreaks.
The D-MOSS system predicts the number of cases of dengue fever on a monthly basis up to six months in advance. It is the first fully integrated dengue fever forecasting system incorporating Earth Observation data, in-situ observations and seasonal climate forecasts, to issue warnings on a routine basis.
It allows government officials to issue warnings of likely outbreaks, to better target mosquito control and community awareness activities, and to improve their planning and prevention measures.
Launched last year, the GEO SDG Awards Program, led by the EO4SDG initiative, recognizes institutions, organizations and countries that are applying Earth observations towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Fourteen awards were presented in both the “Sectoral” and “Special Categories”.