Configuring Flood Control Projects In the Philippines

The Philippines is ranked as the third disastrous country in the world. And yet it lags in terms of structural countermeasures after years of experiences due to inadequacy in planning and design. Attributed to low exposure in flood control, most local engineers were engaged in highways, buildings, bridges and other infrastructures while the major  flood control works were entrusted to foreign consultants. The current thrust of the government infused more infrastructures but master plans and feasibility studies to be the blue print for flood control are inadequate to have effective river structures. At the rate the studies are prepared, the 120 prioritized river basins nationwide may not be achieved until 2035. To help facilitate the preparation, training young engineers in flood control planning in the central office and developing expertise nationwide in the long term are recommended and from the plans the structural measures are implemented accordingly. Alongside with hardware, non-structural measures are prioritized to prepare the people at risk and decrease the vulnerability.

Key words: Prioritize, infrastructures, disaster, expertise, river basins

GENERAL BACKGROUND

According to the United Nations Report, the Philippines ranks third on the list of nations prone to disasters. Floods, and other water induced disaster are very common. The environment is a big factor. The Philippines consists of 7,100 islands with a total land area of approximately 300,000 km2. The climate of the country is influenced by the numerous mountains, valleys, and the surrounding seas. Bounded by the West Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean, it is visited by an average of 20 typhoons annually with mean precipitation of approximately of 2,100 mm intensified by the southwest and northeast monsoons. The terrains are mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands stretching to 34,600 km. Spread over the archipelago, there are 421 principal rivers with catchment area of at least 40 km2. Out of the 200 volcanoes along the volcanic belt, 22 are considered active. 

Water Induced Disasters from 2000 to Present


Historically, the Philippines has experienced perennial disasters. For almost last two decades since 2000 onwards, there are significant water induced disasters which claimed lives and lost to properties.

	Year	Fatalities	Missing	Damage US$ M
Typhoon Winnie	Nov-04	842	751	15.8
Cyclone Durian	Nov-06	1399	100	130
Typhoon Fengshen "Frank"	Jun-08	557		76.4
Typhoon Ketsana "Ondoy"	Sep-09	240
Typhoon Barma "Pepeng"	Oct-09	465	47	608
Tropical Storm Washi "Sendong"	Dec-11	1080
Typhoon Bopha "Pablo"	Dec-12	1900		1040
Typhoon Haiyan "Yolanda"	Nov-13	6300		809

Structural Approach to Disaster Mitigation

Different agencies contribute to disaster management according to mandate through structural and non-structural programs

As the engineering arm of the government, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) construct roads, buildings, and flood control projects. DPWH Projects were allotted on the average 48% to road, 11 % to flood control and the rest to other infrastructures. Prior to 2000, majority of the major flood control funds are foreign assisted, while the local funds meagerly finance piece-meal projects of different districts of the country.

Locally funded projects usually operated more often without the benefit of feasible plans. Projects were replicated from stereotype plans and designs or sets of technical drawing. However, the functionality and sustainability of the projects are not guaranteed once they are constructed.

Some offices have plans but majority of the offices within the country are reactive to flood disasters. Piecemeal projects are constructed without consideration of the basin wide impact.

Recent natural disasters of more frequent and of extreme conditions have led to the integration and harmonization of non-structural and structural countermeasure programs among various government agencies. Attempt to have basis for the prioritization of river basins, the Flood Vulnerability Index was initiated by Japanese Consultants. However, there was unclear flood risk management in the country. until 2008.

Nationwide Flood Risk Assessment Framework

Completed in 2008 through JICA grant aid, the DPWH embarked on the study on Nationwide Flood Risk Assessment (NAFRA), which would serve as a road map in prioritizing river basins from 2010 to 2035. The study prioritized river basins according to the risk, social and economic impact and  recommended preparation of master plans and feasibility studies and project implementations to cope with  water related disasters in the Philippines.

To date, the master plans and feasibility studies completed are approximately 31 river basins out of the 120 river basins identified and prioritized in the study and 6 river basins and urban drainage which are not included in the 120.The low turnout can be attributed to inadequate number of local consultants in the field of flood control.

OBSTACLES IN IMPLEMENTING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE NATIONWIDE FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT

Expertise Requirement

From 1980s to early 2000s, the Japanese and other foreign consultants ventured with the local consultants in some foreign assisted projects, which somehow exposed the locals to new technology. However, apart from partnership with the foreign consultants, the local engineers may have difficulty in updating their skills. Those who were around in the 1970s and 1980s and still employed were not able to keep abreast with the trend in technology. Some find they are too old and ready to retired or about to retire.

Aside from the fact that most flood control projects were conceptualized, planned and designed by foreign consultants, most of the infrastructures were invested on roads and bridges and approximately less than 14% for flood control as of 2003, hence, the expertise for flood control was developed inadequately.

Also, engineering curricula in undergraduate level are insufficient to get acquainted or have little relevance to flood control and much less to sabo technology. And there are few schools offering related courses. Thus, few engineers develop expertise in these fields.

Initiatives to Enhance the Capability of Engineers

One of the moves to enhance the flood control management was a technical cooperation project funded by JICA from 2000 to 2010 with the aim of enhancing the capability of local engineers in the field of flood control and sabo engineering. The project produced technical standards, manuals and guidelines (mostly adopted from Japan), then disseminated through publications and series of trainings nationwide. Although this can be considered a good head start, specialization of engineers in the field of flood control is difficult to achieve due to the multi-tasking of the trained engineers in the regional and district engineering offices. Although all trained staff have not acquired specialized skills on the nationwide scale, the staff of Flood Control and Sabo Engineering Center have gained sufficient skills, being the proponent of the Technical Cooperation. At present, FCSEC is engaged in training local engineers nationwide but still series of trainings may still be needed.

Repercussion of Minimal Exposure of Local Engineers in Flood Control

The lack of local expertise redounds to lag in the completed master plans and feasibility studies which eventually affect the implementation of projects.

Within a span of six years from the time the NAFRA study was completed, there has been negligible increase in the number of consultants and engineers focusing on this field.

At present, there are four to five local consulting firms bidding for flood control projects. In spite of being few, there are some stumbling blocks in the form of policies which discourage participation of interested consultants. These are”

1.       A consulting firm once awarded a project is not allowed to compete with another project of same nature unless the firm has completed the  project.

2.      Another setback is the policy of the Bid and Awards Committee on the prohibition of corporate consultants to engage in the study of river basins financed through local funds. The rationale is to encourage small firms to flourish in consultancy services but in the end it limits the number of firms to get involved.

Available Funds But With Inadequate Plans

From 2010 to 2015, there were significantly calamities which caused damages and countless loss of lives due to strong typhoons and monsoon rainfall. The government stepped up to fortify the high risk areas with structural means. For CY 2016, budget allotment reached P55 Billion. (approximately US$1.17) for flood control projects nationwide, thus far the highest.  There is an increasing trend in the budget allocation as shown in the projected budget in Figure 1. Given this scenario, disbursing the budget to the projects nationwide is a big dilemma due to the reasons earlier mentioned.

Figure 1, Funds Allotted to DPWH

Source: DPWH website

Palliative Response

While the completed Master Plans and Feasibility Studies cover spatial deficiency in relation to NAFRA target , constructing flood control structures without viable plans would be a waste of investment. To remedy the predicament,  the DPWH has devised project impact analysis guidelines for flood control structures as requirement for funding the project. The regional and district engineering offices are required to supply information, such as: the reduced damages, inundated area, economic benefits and environmental impacts.

The guidelines are reinforced through Department Order 23, series of 2015, which state the following:

1.      For every flood control and drainage project envisioned for capital funding under the DPWH Infrastructure Program, the Regional Office/District Engineering Office (DEO) or Flood Control Management Cluster of the Unified Project Management Office (FCMC UPMO) shall submit a project request with basic technical and economic. data that must include, among others, the Project Impact Analysis (PIA).

2.      The project must fall within Flood control and river control works in major or principal river basins/systems as defined by the National Water Resources Board.

3.      The project must be part of an overall flood control master plan/ feasibility study for the river basin or urban area in which the same is located.

However, difficulty is encountered as most of the engineers are inept to derive the requirement with limited skills in hydrology and hydraulics, GIS technology and other tools.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Proposed Urgent Measures

To hasten the preparation of the Maser Plans and Feasibility Studies, pursuable measures can be done. These include the following:

1.      On-the-job training of engineers to do the master plans and feasibility studies using Lidar and modeling software to augment the accomplished river basins.

Newly recruits of Flood Control Management Office are trained to accomplish simple master plan with the aid of modeling software and available Digital Elevation Model. The participants are required till the end of this year to complete the studies assigned to them.

2.       Simplify Master Plan and feasibility studies containing the essentials for planning: technical feasibility, economic feasibility, and environmental impact analysis.

The master plan can be simplified by doing away with too many non-essential contents. Presentation may include maps showing the extent inundation area with and without the project and the alternative countermeasures in a river system to give a visual understanding of the scenarios. Based on the map overlays, sections on socio-economic feasibility and impact on environment due to project alternatives can be derived, which may be considered in the basic contents.

3.      Revise the Project Impact Analysis (PIA) for Projects without Master Plan and Feasibility Study.

As mentioned earlier, the engineers from the Regional and District Engineering Offices find it difficult to fill up the forms for the PIA of their proposed project. Aside from the need to train them, the form for the PIA of flood control projects needs to be revised understandable to the user. Likewise, accompanying guidelines and manuals should be produced and disseminated to all Regional and District Engineering Offices of the DPWH.

4.      Program the proposed project upon completion of the Master Plan and Feasibility Studies and detailed engineering.

Through the ten year Technical Cooperation Project funded by JICA, there were Manuals, Guidelines, Technical Standards for Flood Control and Sabo Engineering developed and distributed to different DPWH offices. Technical typical drawings of flood control structures were also produced. These materials are sufficient references to come up with the design.

5.      Implement the project based on the recommendations in the studies.

Structural measures are commonly expensive and have limited spatial coverage in relation to NAFRA targets. Hence, projects are divided into phases to complete on multi-year program.

In the Master Plan, Project implementation plan is discussed where the Regional Offices and District Offices can follow on their programing. Non-structural measures should be prioritized such as early warning system, hazard mapping, relocation, etc.

6.      Implement Technical Cooperation Project for the Enhancement of Engineers Nationwide

This year a technical cooperation project with JICA is on the board. It deals with the enhancement of Engineers in the field of flood control, sabo and coastal engineering. Most likely the project will kick off in CY 2017. Some features include training, revision and updating of flood control and sabo and formulation of coastal engineering manuals and technical standards  Coastal engineering will be introduced this coming year.

Proposed long Term Measures

1.      Establish specialization in the field of flood control and sabo engineering not only in the central office but also in the Regional  and  the District Engineering Offices

Materials Engineers, Project Inspectors, and Project Engineers are accredited in the DPWH based on training, examination, and the magnitude of projects handled. In similar manner, accreditation and specialization of  Flood Control Engineers is encouraged.

2.      Update and revise the Flood Risk Assessment Studies to include other rivers.

Some areas not listed in the priority listing of the NAFRA Study experienced flood disasters such as Palawan Island. For the past years, typhoons and tropical depressions breed in the West Philippines Seas whereas more often it is in the Pacific Ocean. Also there are areas which have not experienced flood disasters but have been visited by heavy rainfalls and strong windstorms nowadays, especially the Mindanao area  These may be attributed to climate change.

3.      Update old Master Plans and Feasibility Studies.

Master Plans of Major River Basins were commonly prepared by the foreign consultants. These are basins with catchment areas more than 1,400 km². Due to complexity and magnitude, there are no local consultants engaged in major flood control studies, except those awarded to foreign consultants on joint venture.

The River Basin Control Office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) prepared master plans for the Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) of 18 major river basins completed in 2014, mostly done by local consultants.  Since IRBM consists of many aspects such as social, economic, water use, environment, flood control, and other aspects, the nature of study does not give more in depth information on flood risk management.

Some changes in the environmental condition, rainfall pattern, socio-economic importance brought about by urbanization are grounds to revise the old master plans. A joint venture between foreign consultants and local consultants is preferred for enhancement of local  engineers and for quality of work..

4.      Policy amendment and formulation pertaining to flood control, sabo and coastal engineering.

To widen participation of consultants, limitations on the qualifications should be revised which would allow corporate entities.

Likewise, there are conflicting mandate between the Local Government Codes and the Water Code regarding the land use and building permit which allows the Local Government Units to issue permits in flood plain areas. On the other hand, there is no declaration on defining river area, flood plain area, its management jurisdiction. Due to LGUs permitting land use, they sometimes issue permits even in river areas,

5.      Strengthening the conviction to comply and observe  the policy

There are many laws and policies but many times there are big gaps in implementation, such as river easement, informal settlers relocation, etc. More often it takes common sense to do things right. Experience, education at home, school and media are effective in shaping attitude and values. As a starting point, strict implementation of the policy may be necessary to imbue discipline and values to the people.

CONCLUSION

Implementation of Flood Control Projects encounters difficulties stemming from the lack of appropriate plans and inadequacy of engineers to formulate plans amidst the disasters experienced in the Philippines. In response to the increasing budgets intended for flood mitigation, enhancement of technical capabilities of engineers from the core office down to the regional and district offices nationwide is urgent to come up with viable flood control plans and infrastructures.

REFERENCES

References from reports:

Overview of Natural Disasters and their Impacts in Asia and the Pacific, 1970-2014,  2015, page 23, Disaster Risk Reduction Section ICT and Disaster Risk Reduction Division ESCAP

Study on Nationwide Flood Risk Assessment, 2008, JICA, CTII, Manila, Philippines

Department Order 140 series of 2014, DPWH, Manila

Department Order 23 series of 2015, DPWH, Manila

Water Code of the Philippines, 1979, National Water Resources Council , Manila

Reference from the website

Master Plan on Flood Risk Management in Metro Manila and Surrounding Areas., 2015, http://www.gov.ph/downloads/2015/07jul/20150715-MASTER-PLAN-PROJECT-BRIEFER.pdf