Why is MM flooding getting worse?

Heavy flooding across Metro Manila following strong monsoon rains was not solely due to the volume of rainfall, but also the result of extensive urban development, blocked waterways and coastal reclamation, according to an expert from the University of the Philippines.

- By Bella Cariaso

Mahar Lagmay, executive director of the UP Resilience Institute, explained that flooding in the capital is a complex, human-induced issue.

"Metro Manila's floods are compounded by many factors, including encroachment of concrete surfaces, densification of buildings and residential areas, silting of riverbeds and canals, obstruction of waterways by informal settlers, clogging of floodways by garbage, narrowing of rivers due to development on floodplains, draining and filling in of small rivers forcing more water into fewer channels, forest degradation, and reclamation of coastal land," Lagmay said.