Compaq Computer Corp plans to establish a water resource solution center in China with an investment of US$1 million to help the country oversee and minimize damage caused by floods, according to report of China Daily.

The company is expected to co-operate with the Ministry of Water Resources to initiate the research and development project next year.

"We hope that the proposed center can provide effective system solutions for the administration to rationally distribute water resources and oversee the floods," said Philip Yu, president of Compaq Great China.

Floods hit China almost every year, resulting in gargantuan economic losses accounting for millions of yuan.

Compaq's solutions for water resources focuses on how to accurately monitor and assess the water situation in selected regions via computer systems.

Michael Adams, a director with water resource and power utility department of Compaq China, suggested that China should pay more attention to forecasting and monitoring for floods rather than to rescue efforts after one has started.

"The application of computer systems can get the point of anti-flood drive," said Adams.

He said all elements in the water resource sector, from the national monitoring centre to local water stations, should be integrated with the help of a computer network.

The computer solutions for water resources include a geography information system, a monitoring system, remote sensing, emergency management, and forecast system.

Industrial experts say that it is more important for China's water resource sector to apply new technologies so as to reduce flood damage to its lowest level.

"We have provided some solutions for China's major rivers and we expect more co-operations in this sector," said Yu.

Adams said the final completion of a computer network in the water resource sector would be able to effectively prevent avoidable damage and save on costs in the future.