Project Noah eyes 150 detention basins to help curb Metro Manila floods

MANILA, Philippines—Project Noah has proposed the construction of more than 150 detention basins across Metro Manila, in order to reduce flooding during heavy rainfall.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Project Noah executive director Mahar Lagmay explained that detention basins would temporarily store excess rainwater that would otherwise flow into low-lying areas, helping reduce the volume of water that causes flooding.

“We cannot totally eradicate the floods because we are not better than nature. We are not better than the environment. But we can lower it so that the burden on the community, the burden on the people is lower,” Lagmay said in Filipino.

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Lagmay, who works with the Department of Public Works and Highways’ technical working group on flood control plans, said detention basins are being planned in Valenzuela, San Juan, Muntinlupa and Caloocan.

In Quezon City, he noted that two detention basins have already been completed, which are located in covered courts at Barangays Sta. Monica and Tandang Sora.

“If we create many [detention basins], especially the big ones planned in Metro Manila, maybe we can solve the problem. It’s not a magic bullet. It takes a long time to do this but we can start now,” he said.

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With the Department of Budget and Management allocating P1 billion for Project Noah, Lagmay said a portion of the funds will be used in conducting simulations that integrate the surface and subsurface flow of water.

These simulations will help in assessing the storage capacity of potential detention basins, allowing the government to properly plan the location of such infrastructures before its construction.

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“You need to investigate where they are supposed to be placed, because if you just place them anywhere, and it doesn’t catch any water, it has to be replaced. So, you need to strategically place them,” Lagmay explained.

The budget for Project Noah will also be utilized for mapping out hidden waterways and undocumented drainage paths, which may be one of the reasons why certain areas are being flooded, noted Lagmay.

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Lagmay stressed that flooding occurs only in specific areas, noting that 40% to 50% of the country’s land area is considered flood-safe based on simulations being conducted by Project Noah./dp