A truly effective plan must not only address floodwaters, but also consider other factors that go beyond a city’s territorial jurisdiction.
Over the years, the national government has built various flood control projects to address this calamity across the Philippines. However, some of these projects have failed for several reasons, risking lives and property in the process.
One primary reason is the lack of long-term and comprehensive planning. A truly effective plan must not only address floodwaters, but also consider other factors that go beyond a city’s territorial jurisdiction. Without this foresight, flood control measures may resolve issues in one city, but it can also cause the same issue in neighboring towns and cities.
Civil engineers have observed that most flood control projects direct stormwater to Manila Bay or Laguna de Bay. However, they noted that this approach has been ineffective for years since it merely transfers flood risks to coastal areas. For instance, diverting some 2,500 cubic meters of water to Laguna de Bay has caused surrounding towns to severe flooding.
Rapid urbanization and quarrying have also been blamed for choking Metro Manila’s 31 rivers and their tributaries.
The results of these inefficiencies have been devastating. When floodwaters surged, residents who failed to evacuate were left stranded for more than 20 hours on the roofs of their makeshift houses along creeks. 70-year-old Merjelda Torralba even had to tie her house to a coconut tree to prevent it from being swept away.
Pro-People Engineers and Leaders (PROPEL) environmental and sanitation expert Jose Antonio Montalban stated that many flood control projects have turned out to be failures. In some cases, infrastructure intended to safeguard communities from floods has turned out to be a waste of public funds. For example, portions of the Molino Riverdrive Project collapsed during heavy rainfall brought by Tropical Storm Enteng.
Montalban attributed this failure to erosion and the possible use of substandard materials. Repairing these structures will again cost Filipino taxpayers millions.
He emphasized the need for a holistic approach to flood control, ot something that takes into consideration economic, ecological, hydrological, and social factors.
During the onslaught of Typhoon Carina, the national government admitted that 71 of Metro Manila’s pumping stations were unable to handle the rainfall, which was more than double their capacity of 30 millimeters per hour.
A more comprehensive and inclusive solution is urgently needed to help address the country’s prevailing flood problems and minimize flood risks. Without these, communities will remain vulnerable to the devastating effects of floods.
