STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- /PRNewswire/ -- One of the fastest growing public safety and security solutions organizations in the world, AGT International, has been selected to help the Thailand Government tackle flood management challenges.
AGT International has been selected by Thailand's Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, to advise on flood monitoring systems and the design of a future national flood monitoring command center.
Thailand suffers from severe flooding challenges due to its location and landscape. Last July the country was hit by the worst flooding in its history, lasting for six months and affecting 13.6 million people. The World Bank estimates the economic cost of the flooding (as of 1st December 2011) stood at US$45.7 billion, the fourth costliest disaster in history.
Dr Royol Chitradon, Director of the Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute, commented: "We need to transform the vast volume of information, systems and tools available today into a logical, manageable decision making mechanism. The key is the ability to understand and optimize our capability throughout the disaster management process, where we believe AGT's expertise will be a valuable contribution to our success."
Mati Kochavi, Founder and CEO of AGT International said: "Thailand and other countries in the region have seen the dire effects of flooding in recent years. The Thai Government is demonstrating a real commitment to creating the best flood management system possible to protect their people and their economy. We are honored to bring our global experience in flood early warning systems to support them in establishing a strategy to monitor, predict, prevent and manage flooding in the future."
Shiva Singh, Senior Vice President Business Development & Sales, Asia Pacific Region for AGT International, added: "We know from our work in other countries, including on the Yellow River in China, that intelligent, technology based Flood Management Systems (FMS) save lives by providing authorities with real time information, including routing recommendations for evacuation and simulation to enable them to better prepare their emergency response to flooding. We are proud to be working with the Thai Government to create a progressive vision for flood management in the country."
About AGT International
Founded in 2007, AGT International's solutions safeguard people, assets and infrastructure for public safety authorities, governments and corporations around the globe. Its advanced analytics and hierarchical command and control centre integrate and identify relevant patterns to alert decision makers to potential threats for any given scenario as it unfolds. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the organization employs 2,400 people globally, representing more than 50 nationalities. AGT International is privately held and led by Founder and CEO, Mati Kochavi.
AGT International began their work in water management in the Netherlands, delivering projects to enhance the regular dike inspection protocols. Using a network of high tech embedded sensors, their work led the prediction of dike failures two days earlier than previously possible, while delivering greater accuracy for fault site location. Successful large scale field experiments in partnership with the Province of Utrecht and the Dutch Foundation for Applied Water (STOWA), used multi-purpose sensors installed within dikes to measure water pressure, dike body movement and temperature changes. Similar sensor-based solutions are now being successfully rolled out by AGT International in Bangladesh and on the Yellow River in China.
About Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute
Thailand's Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute is led by Dr Royol Chitradon, a leading national scientist. The Institute was formed as a result of a Royal Decree by King Bhumibol Adulyadej and is a leading agency in spearheading advanced systems for the prediction and monitoring of flood and environmental disasters.