AS cities and towns in developing countries, such as the Philippines, face increasing threat from flooding, the World Bank, in its latest publication, pushed for the need to incorporate the management of flood risks into urban planning.

On Monday the World Bank released “Cities and Flooding: A Guide to Integrated Urban Flood-Risk Management for the 21st Century,” which outlined strategies for countries, such as the Philippines, on how they could manage the risk of floods in the face of urbanization, growing populations and long-term climate-change trends.

“Urban expansion often creates poorer neighborhoods which lack adequate infrastructure and services, making them more vulnerable to floods. The poor are hit hardest, especially women and children,” said Pamela Cox, World Bank vice president for East Asia and Pacific Region, through a videoconference from Tokyo.

The World Bank noted that in the Philippines, floods are perennial challenge, usually triggered by a combination of factors including typhoons, tropical depressions, prolonged heavy rains, clogged waterways and improper street drainage.

It recalled the tragedy caused by Typhoon Sendong which triggered flash floods and mudslides that claimed the lives of more than a thousand people in Northern Mindanao and destroyed crops and property in December 2011.

“In addition to direct economic damage, floods also have long-term consequences, such as loss of education opportunities, disease and reduced nutrition which may erode development goals,” the World Bank said.

The guidebook’s lead author Abhas Jha pointed out that the most effective way to manage flood risk is to take an “integrated approach” which combines both structural and nonstructural measures.

“[This approach] includes building drainage channels and floodways; incorporating ‘urban greening,’ such as wetlands and environmental buffers.” 

“Implementing an integrated strategy effectively requires cooperation between different levels of government, public sector agencies, civil society, educational organizations and private sectors, as well as strong decisive leadership from national and local governments,” the book stressed.

The World Bank noted that many tools are available to help people better understand flood risk and its hazards. These include Web-based flood forecasting systems and the mapping of risk and vulnerability.

As flood risk cannot be eliminated entirely, World Bank officials said planning for a speedy recovery is necessary, using reconstruction as an opportunity to build safer and stronger communities which have the capacity to withstand flooding better in the future.

“In the context of the Philippines, it is vital to link urban flood risk management with poverty reduction and climate change adaptation initiatives, and specific issues of urban planning and management, such as housing provision, land tenure, urban infrastructure delivery, basic service provision, and livelihood,” said World Bank Country Director for the Philippines Motoo Konishi.

Following Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, the World Bank noted that Philippines enacted the Republic Act No. 10121 (Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act) and Strategic National Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction containing the country’s framework for disaster risk reduction and management.

The government, with the bank’s support, is also set to complete the preparation of the Metro Manila Flood Management Master Plan early this year.###