THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has completed the draft National Flood Management Framework designed to serve as a convergence point for the many government agencies involved in water, land use, and infrastructure.
Environment Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the framework aims to establish a unified, long-term policy direction for flood-risk reduction as part of the country’s broader water resources and national development agenda.
Major water and flood-control investments are largely managed outside the DENR, primarily by the Department of Public Works and Highways and the National Irrigation Administration, he said.
The framework shifts flood management from a largely reactive, disaster-response approach to a core element of sustainable water resources management and development planning, Lotilla said.
It adopts an integrated water resources management approach, treating flood control not as a stand-alone intervention but as part of an interconnected system that supports irrigation, water supply, hydropower, food security, environmental protection, and local development.
The framework is anchored on four core principles that guide flood management nationwide — nature-based solutions at the headwaters, strategic impoundment of stormwater for multiple benefits, integrated use of “green and grey” infrastructure, and land-use planning and risk-sensitive development.
The Department of Economy, Planning and Development emphasized that the framework should guide the formulation of all flood master plans nationwide to ensure consistency, alignment, and coherence across agencies and levels of government, Lotilla said.
The framework represents a shift toward viewing floodwaters not only as hazards, but also as resources that can be captured, stored, and used during dry months.
“How we string these together – so we can store water, use it during the dry months, and reserve some for treatment – that is the convergence point. The framework is really designed to bring the different agencies together,” Lotilla said.
Flood management is not simply about removing or diverting water, but about managing it strategically for productive and long-term use, he added.
