Photo Stories

Flood mitigation project spares community in Benguet from damaged crops

May 12, 2022

LOOK: To address persistent flooding in Brgy. Betag, La Trinidad, Benguet (as shown in the last 2 photos taken during Typhoon Ompong in 2018), tunnels or flood box culverts were installed to divert water out of the valley area. The construction of these culverts is part of the community-led project (CLP) in Brgy. Betag under the Building Resilient Urban Communities (BRUC) project.

Thanks to the new flood mitigation project, when Typhoon Fabian struck the Philippines last year, the tunnels were able to clear out the rainwater in four hours, effectively preventing the flooding of farmland. Around 500 farmers in the community were spared from damaged crops.

The design of the system takes into account the projected increase in rainfall and flood volume levels for the next 50 years. Capacity building activities will also support the sustainability of the CLP through series of trainings on operations and maintenance.

The project was supported by The Asian Development Bank’s Urban Financial Partners Facility Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund (UCCRTF) and implemented by Oxfam, the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement and the community. The project was turned over to the community last April.