CASE STUDY: CAUSES OF FLOODING IN IWHA COMMUNITY AND POSSIBLE

SOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO SOLVE THE ISSUE

I. INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND

It can’t be denied that the cause of pollution is us humans, such as water, air and
land pollution. These pollutions can be the major cause of flooding in the country. Flash
floods are a part of individuals' lives in different locales of the world. Natural disasters has
been increasing over the years, resulting in death of living things, damage to
infrastructures and destruction of the ecosystem (Living with Risk, 2000).

Everyday, there are different natural disasters happening all over the world. It was
stated that from 1994 to 2003, practically 2.5 billion individuals were influenced by natural
disasters. In a data given by United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
(UN/ISDR) from 1975-2005 there are at least 10 most common natural events that occur
on the earth. These are Presented at the Research Congress 2013 De La Salle University
Manila March 7-9, 2013. Flood, Windstorm, Epidemic, Earthquake, Drought, Landslide,
Extreme Temperature, Wildfire, Volcano Eruption and Insect Infestation. But amongst the
ten events, flooding is the most common all over the world where in it got a average of
30.7 % (Shirey,2011) and it determined that 5,210 disasters recorded in the world
between 1991 and 2005, 2,029 (approximately 40 percent) have happened in the Asia-
Pacific region.

In Davao City, netizens in that community experienced flooding, and it is one of

the problems that is need to be solved. Trashes, vegetation, drainage and such can be
one of the reasons why that issue happens. According to the Regional Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC)-Davao Region, some of the rivers
overflowed because of heavy rains like the Talomo river that affects the barangays. As
the water increases, it causes floods and disturbance to the people. In Iwha, they
experienced floods especially in the corner portion since there are no vegetation and
proper drainage. It is a disturbance to the people especially to those who wants to go
home and to those who have work.

Many places in the Philippines experienced flooding especially when there are
typhoons. Typhoons Ketsana (local name Ondoy), Parma (local name Pepeng) and
Mirinae (local name Santi) in 2009 and Southwest monsoon (locally known as Habagat)
in 2012 have caused widespread impacts on the country. In Metro Manila, flooding has
been a typical occurrence, due to the fast urbanization of the city. Different government
agencies have stated solutions as to how to lessen the damaging impacts of flooding.
Flood alleviating offices such as pumping stations were made to control the rising waters,
but the reasons of having limited resources and lack of proper cooperation from the
netizens and large amount of garbage clogging the drainage these efforts are more often
wasted (DLSU Research Congress, 2013). In Manila, one of the reasons why they
experienced it is because of pollutants. Water pollution – too much garbage in the aquatic
ecosystem, that can cause of overflowing of rivers and seas. Land pollution – they don’t
practice proper disposal of trashes, they just litter everywhere and that can be also a
cause of air pollution – the smell of the garbage that can affect human health. Netizens
should discipline their selves to prevent such conundrum. They should know the
consequences in all the things that they do. Furthermore, “the effect of extreme flooding
is dramatic, not only at the individual household level, but also in the country as a whole.”
(Integrated Flood Management Concept Paper, 2009).

Globally, floods are seen as the most dangerous of all naturally happening
disasters. Unlike to those developed countries, Asian countries are more likely to
experienced serious problems. The southwest monsoon generally experienced from June
to September and it gives for nearly 70-80% of the rainfall in this region (Saleh Ur
Rahman, 2014). Furthermore, melting of glaciers in the Himalayan-Hindukush region,
may affect rising of water that can increase flash floods in the mountainous regions. South
Asia’s geography makes it particularly prone to natural disasters. Additionally, flood
events account for 2/3 of the global population affected by all naturally disaster events
(UNDP, 2004).

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

 The main thrust of the study was to determine the problems and the causes why
IWHA community experienced flooding and to know what are the solutions that can be
done to prevent this problem

Specifically, these research questions guide us in our study:

What are the factors causing flood in IWHA Community?

A. Drainage system
B. Lack of vegetation
C. Improper waste disposal
D. Urbanization
E. Very wet, saturated soils
What are the effects of flood as perceived by the residents in IWHA?

A. Deterioration of health conditions

B. Damage to Property
C. Destruction of crops
D. Destroy lives
What are the solutions to solve the flooding issue in IWHA?

A. Cleaning of drainage systems

B. Plant more trees
C. Implement a policy about strict waste management and disposal.
D. Conduct a monthly or even weekly cleaning operations both in your
household and in your community.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study aims to determine the different reasons why there is flooding in Iwha and
what are the causes that leads to this circumstance. Additionally, it determines what are
the solutions to prevent this issue.

This study highlights the reasons such as the drainage system, lack of vegetation
or the improper waste disposal. The citizens and the barangay should take an action to
prevent these disasters. The results of this study will know the major reason why there
is flooding in that area. These concluded data will help the people and the community to
identify the cause and to determine what solution should they make and apply the
solution to that specific conundrum. Every problem has a solution, if all of the people in
that community will help it will lead to a clean and peaceful environment.

Findings of this study would raise awareness to the individuals in the community
about the issue and to tell them to act as a responsible citizen. They should discipline
their selves to prevent further damages in our ecosystem. This study would spread a
word to all of the netizens to stop doing things that can affect the environment since we
us humans are the one who will face the consequences.

II. Review of Related Literature

Before going into the main variables of the study, the proponents discuss in the
first part what are the reasons of flooding in the local, national and global community.
Researchers stated about the solutions on how to solve the issue.

Sinclair and Pegram (2003) stated that floods cannot be prevented but their
devastating effects can be minimized if advance warning of the event is available. With
large increase in population and increasing urbanization there are more people living in
informal settlements, which are often on flood plains as this is the only underdeveloped
land available near cities. The people living in these settlements are those who are most
at risk, not only due to their geographical location in the flood plain but also because they
do not have the financial resources to recover from the damage caused by flooding.
According to Smith and Ward (1998), there is more evidence that the flood problem is
getting worse in terms of the damage caused by flooding. Despite massive expenditure
on flood defense, flood damage losses continue to rise in many countries. Although most
floods are more or less natural phenomena, the flood hazard is largely of human origin.
Most floods resultsx7 from moderate to large events, occurring within the expected range
of stream flow. Floods constitute a “hazard” only where human encroachment into flood
prone areas has occurred.

In Davao City, places in different areas were flooded due to heavy rains brought
by a low-pressure area caused Davao rivers to swell, causing over 200 families to
evacuate because of this calamity. Hundreds of commuters heading out of Davao City
such as Panabao and Tagum got stranded (2019)

Four barangays in Davao City have been placed under state of calamity, they
experienced massive flooding that waters have entered their houses. Tugbok Proper, Los
Amigos, Talomo, and Wangan are directly affected by this calamity. (Palicte, 2019)

In a study of south Asian region Bank off (2003) states that, in Philippines, flooding
is not a recent hazard but one that has occurred throughout the recorded history. On the
one hand, it is related to a wider global ecological crisis to do with climate change and
rising sea levels but on the other hand, it is also the effect of more-localized human
activities. A whole range of socio-economic factors such as land use practices, living
standards and policy responses are increasingly influencing the frequency of natural
hazards such as floods and the corresponding occurrence of disasters. He also
mentioned in his study that, Municipality has its basis in a complex risk of inter-relating
factors that emphasize how the nature of vulnerability is constructed through the lack of
mutuality between environment and human activity over time. Statistical trends suggest
that floods have become more numerous and more devastating in recent years. Certainly
the frequency of events and the number of people affected have increased steadily as
human related activities such as deforestation; overgrazing and urbanization aggravate
environmental conditions, making communities more vulnerable (Bank off, 2003).

Cebu City experienced a calamity which we call flood. Councilor Dave Tumulak
stated that “It's quite clear that the flooding was caused by irresponsible disposal of
garbage. It wasn't really a heavy downpour, but the trash has clogged up our drainage
system's waterways,” The government of Cebu City blames improper waste disposal
because piles of rubbish were seen scattered all over the affected areas when the
floodwater subsided. (Fernandez, 2017)

Several areas in Metro Manila were flooded because of downpour brought by the
southwest monsoon. It caused floods, triggering traffic, making commuting difficult, and
leaving some passengers stranded (Rappler, 2019)
 In UK, flood risk represents a significant threat to many communities. Around 1.8
million households and 140,000 commercial properties in England and Wales are located
in floodplain areas, affecting at least 4-5 million people. The researcher further points out
that a range of flood risk management activities are undertaken by operating authorities.
These include emergency planning, awareness raising, provision of flood warning and
creation of flood storage areas as well as the construction and maintenance of both
conventional and innovative flood defences. Crossman, M. et al. (2006) suggests that in
the face of such increases in risk, the provision of reliable information and public
awareness is essential.

In east China’s Jiangxi province, heavy rains caused a deadly flood that trapped
285 hikers from three tourist groups. According to the Xinhua news agency, the hikers
were saved by Monday Morning after the local government sent more than 530 rescuers
to that area. In the south china, they issued a red alert for heavy rain that caused
widespread flooding in that area. The main street in Sanming city, at XInshibei road, about
300 meters of the read was in flood or underwater. China issued a red alert for the
rainstorms, in that occurrence, there are approximately 20 landslides were reported.
China has a four-tier color-coded warning system for severe weather, with red
representing the severest conditions, followed by orange, yellow and blue. The rain
affected more than 72,000 citizens and 1,235 were evacuated to safely. Farmlands also
was affected and it losses of around $29m. (Al Jazeera and news agencies, 2019)

In Tokyo, heavy rain caused floods and landslides in Japan yesterday, taking at least
two people’s lives and prompting the authorities to order more than 900,000 people to
evacuate their homes, while another million were advised to move to safety. (The Straits
Times, 2019)

METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the researcher describes the methods and procedures used in
conducting this study. This includes the research design, research locale, research
procedure, research instrument and the data and gathering.

Research Locale
The case study was conducted at IWHA Village, brgy. Baliok, Davao City in the first
semester S.Y. 2019 since the respondents are citizens of this community.

Research Respondents

There were fifty (50) respondents who took part in the study. The population consisted of
citizens of IWHA community who participated in strictly voluntary basis.

Research Instrument

To conduct the study, the proponents made a survey questionnaire that aims to find out
what are the causes of flooding in the IWHA community and to discover possible
solutions for this issue.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers implemented the simple descriptive design. This design used
survey questionnaires which were distributed to the respondents in order to attain the
main objective of the study which is to determine the causes and solutions of flooding in
IWHA Community.

The survey or the research itself tried to describe, analyze and interpret the
perspectives and opinions of the respondents regarding the flooding in IWHA community.
The design is a non-experimental correlation research. This design investigates the
reasons why there is flooding in IWHA community and what are the possible solutions.

The survey was done on September 21-24, the proponents conducted the survey
to the citizens of the community and also, the researchers conducted a part of their survey
on International College of St. Ignatius de Loyola which is a school nearby located in
IWHA.

I. Results and Discussion

Question: Is this a factor of flooding in IWHA community? check the box that
corresponds to your answer.
 REASONS YES NO
1. Drainage system is the cause of flooding 47 3
2. Lack of vegetation (No trees, no plants, etc.) 26 24
3. Improper waste disposal 44 6
4. Urbanization (Many infrastructures/buildings, etc.) 29 21
5. compacted or dry soil. 29 21

QUESTION: Is this an effect of flooding in IWHA community? check the box that
corresponds to your answer.

EFFECTS YES NO
1. Damage of properties 33 17
2. Deterioration of health conditions such as Dengue 47 3
3. Destruction of crops 31 19
4. It destroys life (deaths of animals, humans) 27 23

QUESTION: Is this a solution for the flooding in IWHA community? Check the box
that corresponds to your answer.

SOLUTIONS YES NO
1. Cleaning of drainage systems. 49 1
2. Plant more trees 46 4
3. Implement a policy about strict waste management 45 5
and disposal.
4. Conduct a monthly or even weekly cleaning operations 47 3
both in your household and in your community.
V. Recommended Solutions
Therefore we can approach to some ways or solutions in this chapter to highlight
some policy considerations and as well as awareness building which, if implemented,
could play an important role in flood risk management. The
following considerations are recommended from this study:
Government and key stakeholders should engage communities in order to
move permanently to higher grounds as they have expressed a willingness to
relocate. Consideration should also be made to introduce alternative
livelihood strategies in the new area of settlement.
There should be a deliberate policy to compel communities, especially in
rural areas, to build house using durable materials and away from the flood
prone areas as well as the height from the flood level must be considered.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives should, through Extension
Services encourage Communities to increase cultivation and tree plantation
on the upland in order to enhance food security and household level.
The relevant authorities should delineate both with the non-flood areas and
flood areas. The non-flood areas can serve as a temporary flood shelter for the
settlements during floods.
Construction of dams should be considered to trap the excess water. This
could be used for irrigation.
Tree plantation need to be encouraged among the village people outside the
community areas that should protect or minimize the flood impacts.
Government and key Stakeholders should engage the communities and local
authorities in making them aware of the flood risk in view of the climate
variability.
Community initiated mitigation measures should be promoted to build
community resilience. In the long term, community based floods early
warning system for flood should be developed.
Multi-sartorial approach to flood mitigation as opposed to single sector
should be promoted and should be link it to the impacts of flood on various
aspects of society.
 VI. APPENDICES
Documentations
 Questionnaires

Malayan Colleges Mindanao

a Map𝑢́ a school
Gen. Douglas MacArthur Highway, Matina, Davao City

QUESTION: Is this a factor of flooding in IWHA community? check the box that
corresponds to your answer.

REASONS YES NO
 6. Drainage system is the cause of flooding
7. Lack of vegetation (No trees, no plants, etc.)
8. Improper waste disposal
9. Urbanization (Many infrastructures/buildings, etc.)
10. compacted or dry soil.

QUESTION: Is this an effect of flooding in IWHA community? check the box that
corresponds to your answer.

EFFECTS YES NO
5. Damage of properties
6. Deterioration of health conditions such as Dengue
7. Destruction of crops
8. It destroys life (deaths of animals, humans)

QUESTION: Is this a solution for the flooding in IWHA community? check the box
that corresponds to your answer.

SOLUTIONS YES NO
5. Cleaning of drainage systems.

6. Plant more trees

7. Implement a policy about strict waste management

and disposal.
8. Conduct a monthly or even weekly cleaning operations
both in your household and in your community.

Recommend Solutions
______________________________________________________________________

Bibliography

Sinclair, S. and Pegram, G. 2003. A Flood Now casting System for the eThekwini

Living with Risk (2002): A global Review of Disaster Reduction Initiatives, Geneva

Switzerland.

Hanson, k., Danielson, M. and Ekenberg, L. 2007. A Framework for Evaluation of

Flood Management Strategies. Journal, 86 (3):465-480.

Bankoff, G., 2003, Constructing Vulnerability: The Historical, Natural and Social

Generation of Flooding in Metropolitan Manila. Journal, 27 (3): 224-238.

Crossman, M., Richardson, D. and Milne, J.2006. Proceedings of the In Civil

Engineers. A partnership approach to Managing Flood Risk. Civil Engineering.

Journal, 159 (2):41-45.