Embrace nature to ensure water security, solve flooding

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is proposing a nature-based strategy to address flooding. This is an approach that views floodwater or excess water not merely as a hazard but as a vital resource.

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This sounds like a good idea for a nation relentlessly battered by storms and monsoon rains that oftentimes trigger flooding—a seasonal inconvenience and a crisis that redefines lives, erodes livelihoods, and tests the very legitimacy of public institutions. The Philippines, long vulnerable to climate extremes, faces a crucial decision in its approach to flood management. Will it continue investing in traditional gray infrastructure, considering the mounting economic, environmental, and ethical costs; or will it embrace a nature-based flood management that is more sustainable, transparent, and appears to be a more effective solution?