PROJECT

Region: East Asia and Pacific

Country: Philippines
Focus Area:

HIGHLIGHTS
Risk Reduction
Structural and non-structural
measures; land use planning,
policies and regulation, infra-
structure retrofitting, etc.

Towards Integrated Flood

Risk Management
Reducing Greater Manila Area’s vulnerability to
flooding and protecting its 21 million inhabitants

Overview
The Philippines is located in the Pacific typhoon belt with most of the population vulnerable to the
impacts of natural hazards. The Greater Manila Area, encompassing Metro Manila and surround-
ing areas, is exposed to frequent flooding. In 2009, Tropical Storm Ondoy (Ketsana) and Typhoon
Pepeng (Parma) brought extensive rainfall over the area, putting most of the city under water,
severely affecting the population and assets of the entire Greater Manila region. In total,
the losses caused by Tropical Storm Ondoy and Typhoon Pepeng amounted to approximately
US$4.4 billion or 2.7 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). Based on the recommenda-
tions from the 2009 Government-led Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA), the World Bank, in
partnership with GFDRR, is supporting the Philippine Government in its efforts to mainstream di-
saster risk management (DRM) and climate change adaptation into development, which includes
the preparation and implementation of an Integrated Flood Management Master Plan to reduce
vulnerability to flooding in Metro Manila and the surrounding areas. Highlights
Reducing flood vulnerability in Metro
Challenges
Manila can have tremendous economic
With a population of more than 21 million, which accounts for almost a fifth of the total country
population, the greater Manila area is an important economic center generating close to 40 benefits for the area as well as the
percent of the country’s GDP. Existing flood management facilities are inadequate to protect the entire country.
population and economic assets that are perennially affected by flooding. Flood events are exac-
erbated by factors such as institutional fragmentation and lack of maintenance (e.g., dredging of To reduce vulnerability of the Greater
silts, cleaning of solid waste), which reduces the capacity of rivers, waterways, and drains to carry Manila Area to future flooding,
extensive rainfall away from the affected areas. GFDRR supported the Government
of the Philippines in developing the
Approach Metro Manila Flood Management
The Philippines is taking a proactive approach to DRM, focusing on three core areas: (i) strength- Master Plan which proposes a 25-year
ening the institutional capacity for DRM; (ii) mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into develop- program with structural (engineered)
ment planning; and (iii) managing its fiscal exposure to natural hazard impacts, as identified in and non-structural investments.
the Philippines’ National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Law (Republic Act No. 10121).
The Master Plan provides a
Based on the recommendations of the PDNA following the devastating 2009 typhoons, the World
comprehensive guide to future
Bank and GFDRR extended technical support to formulate a Flood Management Master Plan
(Master Plan) to reduce and manage flood risks in the greater Manila area and the surrounding investments undertaken by the
areas. The Master Plan focuses on: (i) the prioritization of legislative action and investments to Philippine government and
strengthen institutional coordination; (ii) improved flood management through structural (engi- development partners.
neered) measures for the main rivers, the Laguna Lakeshore and urban areas;
(iii) non-structural measures, including strengthening the flood forecasting and warning system, The work has led to an initial
capacity building for strengthening community-based flood risk management; and (iv) improving allocation of government funding
the information management for effective DRM. for immediate mitigation measures,
with substantial investment plans
The Master Plan recommends structural solutions (e.g., for dams, river improvements, floodways); underway.
non-structural mitigation measures (e.g., in land use regulations, watershed conservation, refor-
estation); and preparedness measures including improving the flood warning systems, rainfall and
water level gauging stations and information systems. During the development of the Master Plan,
policymakers representing all major agencies and organizations involved in flood management
were consulted, as were civil society organizations (CSO) and the private sector.
www.worldbank.org/eapdisasters www.gfdrr.org
Region: East Asia and Pacific • Country: Philippines • Focus Area: Risk Reduction

Results
The Master Plan:

• Proposes a 25-year program road map with structural and non-structural investments to de-
crease flood vulnerability and strengthen flood risk management in the Greater Manila area.

• Provides a comprehensive guide to future investments to be undertaken by the Philippine Gov-

ernment and development partners.

• Makes concrete recommendations for institutional reforms for flood management, capacity
building interventions, amendments to legislations and rules introducing integrated flood man-
agement approaches for the Greater Manila area. A flood management plan is needed to reduce
risk in Manila especially since the area is struck by
• Proposes protection and infrastructure measures, and cost prioritization for construction and constant flooding.
rehabilitation. It includes proposals that would make the city and its 17 million residents safe
against floods with a 1:100 year return period.

With approximately Philippine Peso 352 billion (about US$9 billion), the Master Plan has been
approved by the Government through the Philippine’s National Economic and Development Au- “The recently approved
thority (NEDA) Board, chaired by the President of the Philippines. An initial amount of Philippine allotment will support
Peso 5 billion (US$120 million) has been allocated by the Government for immediate investments
proposed by the Plan, and substantial investments plans are under preparation. The development the implementation of a
of the Master Plan strengthened the ongoing dialogue on DRM in the country.
flood management master
Partnership plan in these areas, where
The development of the Master Plan was supported by GFDRR with US$1.65 million. The World
Bank supported the Government in coordinating discussions among agencies and development floodwaters rise even with
partners. The main counterpart agency was the Department of Public Works and Highways. Other moderate rains.”
partners in this ongoing initiative include: NEDA, the Philippines’ Office of Civil Defense, the Na-
tional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the Metropolitan Manila Development Florencio Abad
Authority, Metro Manila Local Government Units (LGUs), the Department of Budget, Department Budget Secretary
of Finance, the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, Laguna Lake Development Authority, De- Philippine Government
partment of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as development partners, (most notably
the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Australian Aid Agency (AusAID)), civil
society organizations, the private sector and academia.

Next Steps
Reducing flood vulnerability and improving institutional coordination as well as structural and
non-structural mitigation measures can have tremendous economic benefits for the Greater Ma- Lessons Learned
nila Area and the country as a whole. Given the positive response of relevant decision makers, the
World Bank continues to provide advisory and technical services on specific investment proposals. Even modest technical assistance
The immediate steps forward include the implementation of simpler measures. A set of priority can lead to substantial investments
measures (including a flood management dam, river improvements and land reclamation) have in risk reduction, if it is well-targeted
been agreed to and the preparation of detailed feasibility studies and designs is expected to begin and is provided in close coordination
in 2013. Future work will also draw on analysis undertaken in the Greater Metro Manila Area Risk with relevant policy-makers and
Assessment Project funded by AusAID and implemented by the Philippine Government and other stakeholders.
DRM projects funded by JICA.
To move policy recommendations and
REFERENCES investment proposals forward, it is
Philippines. Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng: Post-Disaster Needs Assessment. Main Report. 2009. vital to have strong partnerships and
(http://gfdrr.org/docs/PDNA_Philippines_MainReport.pdf)
be able to provide consistent support
to those partnerships.
CONTACT
Joop Stoutjesdijk, Lead Irrigation Engineer, The World Bank
jstoutjesdijk@worldbank.org

Produced and edited by Joop Stoutjesdijk, Zuzana Stanton-Geddes and Christina Irene, The World Bank.

www.worldbank.org/eapdisasters www.gfdrr.org