Are Philippine flood problems being addressed with inappropriate solutions?
An answer seems emerging to the question Filipinos ask every year without fail during typhoon season—how long should we have to wait until the flooding problem is finally solved? In Metropolitan Manila, at least, it would take 23 years. Yes, 23 years! This is no exaggeration considering that this estimate came from no less than then Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson in 2013, some 11 years ago. His statement was made when the proposed P351 billion “master plan” was rolled out. This is a multi-year, multi-agency program that aimed at tackling the infrastructure needs of 11 flood-prone areas in the metropolis and adjacent provinces.
Careful studies show that the root of the perennial flooding problem is continuity, or specifically, the lack of it. True, a number of updated solutions have been identified, including the redesigning of flood control projects to consider the rapid urbanization and high population density of Metro Manila, enlarging drainage systems, the dredging of waterways and seamlessly coordinating dam management. Perhaps the recommendation to give priority to risk avoidance strategies that are non-structural in nature, e.g., flood forecasting and disaster preparedness and response, should also be considered.
However, sustained and science-based execution is one big issue. While good measures may be available, the tenure of the public officials implementing them is measured in years, but the solution is measured in decades.
All in, as Dr Pamela Cajilig of the College of Architecture of the University of the Philippines said, “They have failed precisely because the mindset is ‘flood control,’ which leads to measures that do not work well with nature and therefore lead to maladaptation, ‘solutions’ that negate their very aim, which is to reduce flood risks.”
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