With public frustration mounting over controversial flood control projects and alleged misuse of funds, the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners (PIEP) has called on the government to rethink its approach to flood management and shift investments toward more sustainable, nature-based solutions.
“Engineering solutions like levees, dikes, and floodways are important, but they can only take us so far,” said PIEP National President Jayson Edward San Juan. “Relying only on concrete structures is costly to maintain, can fail during extreme weather, and too often opens the door to waste or misuse of public funds.”
The group emphasized that flood management is not merely an engineering problem but a complex environmental, social, and governance issue. Decades of experience in the Philippines and abroad, it noted, show that gray infrastructure alone often leads to high maintenance costs, vulnerability to failure, and unintended ecological and social impacts.
PIEP is instead advocating for nature-based solutions, such as rehabilitating wetlands and mangroves, restoring floodplains, protecting watersheds, and expanding urban green spaces. These strategies, the group said, are less expensive, provide longer-term protection, and deliver co-benefits like cleaner water, stronger biodiversity, and healthier communities.
International examples back this approach. The Netherlands’ Room for the River program, which created controlled inundation areas and restored natural river courses, has been cited as proof that ecological restoration can reduce flood risks while improving the environment. Locally, studies from the Asian Development Bank highlight how rehabilitating mangroves and upland watersheds yields long-term benefits that far outweigh the constant repair of substandard infrastructure.
PIEP also stressed the need for holistic, ridge-to-reef planning that integrates structural works where necessary with land-use planning, watershed management, and community-based disaster risk reduction. Non-structural measures such as hazard mapping, early warning systems, and stricter zoning must accompany any infrastructure projects to prevent merely shifting risks from one community to another.
“All major flood control investments must undergo rigorous cost–benefit analysis, environmental and social safeguards, transparent procurement, and inclusive consultations,” San Juan said. “Every peso spent must achieve meaningful, lasting results. We owe Filipinos flood solutions that last, not quick fixes that fail the moment the next storm arrives.”
As climate change intensifies extreme weather events, PIEP said the Philippines must move beyond piecemeal engineering fixes toward a blended strategy that combines smart engineering, ecological restoration, and accountable governance. Only then, it added, can the country build resilience, protect ecosystems, and safeguard future generations.
