7 days ago
UP geologist Lagmay: Metro Manila hit by floods as roads built over waterways
Geologist Mahar Lagmay, executive director the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute (UPRI), on Wednesday pointed to the construction of roads over natural waterways as a key factor in the perennial flooding woes of Metro Manila.
Lagmay, who also serves as executive director of the UP Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) Project, cited the ill effects of global warming but stressed that its impact to Metro Manila was worsened by the approach on road construction.
"Pinapalala pa natin… Nilalagyan natin ng kalye ang mga sapa. Tuyo pero 'pag umulan, nag-o-overflow. Gusto dumaan ng tubig papunta sa kabilang dulo ng kalye… Saan siya dadaan? Sa ibabaw ng kalye," Lagmay told Balitanghali.
(We are worsening the situation. Roads were built over creeks. These are dry when there are no rains. But when it does, the water overflows. The water seeks to go to the other end of th street... Where will the water flow? Above the road.)
Floods have marred multiple parts of Metro Manila amid the continuous heavy rains triggered by the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat and a low pressure area (LPA).
On Wednesday alone, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) issued flood warnings for six cities across Metro Manila.
Lagmay said masterplans for Metro Manila can be improved by taking into consideration the smaller waterways, and not just the major rivers.
"'Yung tumbok ay Marikina River at San Juan River, eh papano ang ibang sanga-sanga ng mga river arteries, 'yung maliliit na sapa? 'Pag nag-overflow 'yan, mayroong mga taong naapektuhan at marami rin ang naapektuhan. 'Yun siguro ang dapat i-improve sa mga paggawa ng mga solusyon patungkol sa flood control na problem," Lagmay added.
(The government has focused on Marikina River and San Juan River. But what about the branches of the river arteries, the small creeks that also affect Filipinos when these overflow? Perhaps that is one thing that can be improved upon when coming up with solutions to the flood control problem.)
Seen more frequently
The UPRI chief said the huge volume of rains, which supposedly "only happens every 100 years," is being observed more frequently. He warned that the situation may worsen over the years as countries like the Philippines suffer from global warming and climate change.
"Unang-una dyan, ang ulan malakas talaga. 'Yung dating pag-ulan na minsan lang nangyayari, kada 100 taon, ngayon nagiging mas madalas na… Baka mas maging malala pa 'yan kapag magtuloy ang global warming na siyang nagpapabago ng ating klima," Lagmay said.
(First, the rains are really strong. Rains that are supposed to happen only once in 100 years are becoming more frequent... We might experience these more often if global warming persists and the climate continues to change.)
The UP Resilience Institute led the development of Project NOAH, a hazard database map which aims to inform the public about the hazards—including floods, landslides, and storm surges—in their real-time locations.
The application may be accessed here:
— VDV, GMA Integrated News
