Introduction to

Flood Control and Drainage

Flood and Sediment Management in the Philippines, in view of Cooperation
Minoru Kamoto, JICA Advisor
Manual on Flood Control Planning
Technical Standard and Guidelines for Planning Flood Control Structures
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
WHAT IS FLOOD?
 FLOOD
• It is a destructive Phenomena
• Brought large and heavy damages to life,
infrastructures, economy, culture and social
life of communities affected
 Definition of Flood
• A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water
that submerges land
• Flood is from the swelling of bodies of water
brought about by excessive surface water runoff,
storms, tidal movements and some are
manmade.
• The word "flood" comes from the Old English
flod, a word common to Germanic languages
(compare German Flut, Dutch vloed from the
same root as is seen in flow, float; also compare
with Latin fluctus, flumen).
• Flash floods usually result from intense rainfall
over a relatively small area, or if the area was
already saturated from previous precipitation.
Causes of Flood
 Causes of Flood
• Excessive Rainfall
• Storm Surges or severe winds over
water
• Unusual high tides
• Rise of Sea Water
• Tsunamis
 Causes of Flood
• Damaged/ Breached/ Failures of
Flood Control Structures
• Influence of urban planning
• Manmade constriction of waterways
• Solid Waste in Waterways
• Acts of Terrorism to Reservoirs
 Major Threat NOW

CLIMATE
CHANGE
What is climate
change?
long-term, significant
change in the
climate of an area
or of the earth,
usually seen as
resulting from
human activity
IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
• Snow and ice are melting
• Frozen ground thawing
• Hydrological and biological
systems are changing
• Abnormal Rainfall Patterns
• Stronger Rainfall Intensity
• Extreme Weather (Too
Much Rainfall)
• Melting glaciers threaten
mountain settlements and
water resources
• Coastal flooding increasing
 Flooding in the Country
• The Philippines has a tropical climate. Tropical
storms are common from June to October.
• Each year, about 20 typhoons hit the
Philippines, mostly on the eastern coasts of
Luzon and Samar, bringing strong winds and
flooding that sometimes resulted in property
damage and loss of life.
 Flooding in the Country
• The vulnerability of the Philippines to flooding is more
pronounced in the 421 principal river basins and the 76
sub basins of major rivers scattered all over the
Philippine archipelago.
• Under intense rainfall, overflowing of waterways,
inundation and deposition of sediment in flood plains
often resulted to extensive flood damages.
• Monsoons also bring heavy rains that caused flooding.
• Flood-prone areas are extensively located in Eastern
Mindanao, Northern Samar, Central Luzon and the
Bicol Region. Approximately, there is a total of about
1,316,230 hectares susceptible to flooding nationwide,
of which almost 423,000 hectares or 32% is located in
Central Luzon alone.
 Flooding in the Country
Various types of flood can be observed in
the Country:

• flash flood including debris,

• mudflow and lahar flow in the upstream,
• overflow and bank erosion both in the
midstream and downstream; and
• inland flood in the downstream.
 Major River Basins
• The National Water Resources Council (NWRC)
identified the principal and major river basins
nationwide in the “Principal River Basins of the
Philippines” October, 1976.
• The principal river basins are defined as those
having at least 40 square kilometers of drainage
area.
• The river basins with area of at least 1,400 km2
among the principal river basins are classified as
major river basins. There are 421 principal river
basins identified with catchment area ranging
from 40 to 25,469 km2 including 18 major river
basins.
18 Major River Basins
 Flood Damages in the Philippines
• 92.5% of natural disaster in the country is
caused by typhoons which bring about heavy
rainfall as well as strong wind.
• Approximately, twenty typhoons a year break
out on the sea around Caroline and Mariana
Islands and most of them pass through the
Philippines. These typhoons caused floods in
most cases, due to heavy rainfall. Thus, the
Philippines is vulnerable to flood damage.
 Flood Damages in the Philippines
• According to the flood damage records from
year of 1970 to 2003, lives of 544 people per
annum were lost and a total of 1,487 people per
annum including missing and injured. The
number of damaged household and people are
500,000 and 2,800,000, respectively. The number
of damaged houses is 730,000, out of which
70,000 were completely destroyed. The total
damage amount is about 4.6 billion pesos a year
and more than 10 billion pesos once every 6
years.
Natural Disaster Damages in the
Philippines
21 Years Typhoon and Flood Damage
 Areas usually affected by Floods
• Coastal Areas
• Flood Plains
• Settlements and agricultural areas
adjacent to rivers
 Effects of Floods
• It damages property and endangers the lives of
humans and other species.
• Rapid water runoff causes soil erosion and
concomitant sediment deposition elsewhere
(such as further downstream or down a coast).
• The spawning grounds for fish and other wildlife
habitats can become polluted or completely
destroyed.
• Some prolonged high floods can delay traffic in
areas which lack elevated roadways.
 Effects of Floods
• Floods can interfere with drainage and
economic use of lands, such as interfering
with farming.
• Structural damage can occur in bridge
abutments, bank lines, sewer lines, and other
structures within floodways. Waterway
navigation and hydroelectric power are often
impaired.
 Effects of Floods
Primary effects
• Physical damage – Can damage any type of
structure, including bridges, cars, buildings,
sewerage systems, roadways, and canals.
 Effects of Floods
Secondary effects
• Water supplies – Contamination of water. Clean
drinking water becomes scarce.
• Diseases – Unhygienic conditions. Spread of water-
borne diseases.
• Crops and food supplies – Shortage of food crops can
be caused due to loss of entire harvest. However,
lowlands near rivers depend upon river silt deposited
by floods in order to add nutrients to the local soil.
• Trees – Non-tolerant species can die from suffocation.
• Transport - Transport links destroyed, so hard to get
emergency aid to those who need it.
 Effects of Floods
Tertiary/long-term effects
• Economic – Economic hardship, due to:
temporary decline in tourism, rebuilding costs,
food shortage leading to price increase, etc.
Flood Control Measures
Flood Control Methods and Structures
• "non-structural" measures ranging from
floodplain zoning so as to restrict human
settlements, and restricting in particular the
cultivation of riverbeds, to planting flood
protection forests, and from mandating flood
insurance schemes to the setting up of special
governmental bodies or committees to
perform specific flood-related tasks.
Flood Control Methods and Structures
• Other Nonstructural flood control measures
such as flood proofing, evacuation, and flood
warning systems.
Flood Control Methods and Structures
• Levees/ Dikes
• Floodwalls
• Floodway
• Diversion Channels
• Dry Dams
• Dams/ Reservoirs
Flood Control Methods and Structures
• Weirs
• Small Water Impoundments/ Small Farm
Reservoirs
• Tidal Gates
• Sediment Detention Structures (Sabo
Structures)
• Pumping Stations
• Flood Gates
 Methods of Channel Improvements
• Levees set back clear of the meander belt.
• Levees within the meander belt.
• Off-channel detention basins.
• Upstream flood retention or detention structures.
• Flood bypass channel.
• Major Flood Storage Reservoirs
• Clearing and snagging (reduced roughness).
• Enlarged compound cross section with existing low-
flow channel left intact. (The low-flow channelcarries
average dry-season flow.)
• Channel widening with or without levees.
• Channel deepening with or without levees.
 Methods of Channel Improvements
• Within-channel flood detention basin.
• Floodway, diversion, or bypass channel.
• Compound channel - low-flow pilot plus
flooding berms.
• Significant channel widening.
• Significant channel widening and deepening.
• Significant channel widening, deepening, and
straightening.