THE Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) in coordination with the Davao City Government is set to conduct a feasibility study to craft a 30-year master plan for flood mitigation projects in one major and two principal river basins in Davao City.
"A scoping mission will be sent by the Jica team in July," Davao City Administrator Zuleika Lopez said Thursday, March 23 after the meeting with city officials, Jica team, officials from Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and National Economic Development Authority at the City Hall conference hall.
Lopez said that the team is expected to give the city a master plan from the feasibility study and recommend actions to undertake.
Lopez said the master plan is aligned with the Byaheng DO30, executive plan of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio.
"The city mayor identified flood control drainage maintenance program, na kung pwede masali sa (if it can be included in) DPWH, that is why we are very fortunate because the Jica team is coming in mostly because of the agreements between President Duterte and President Abe when he visited early this year," Lopez said.
Lopez said the information sharing will be the city's major role in the undertaking.
"There will no budget from our end, but we have agreed to provide information they need for the scoping mission in July 2017. Once the team is settled, we will also provide our technical team," she said.
DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain said in a media interview that the masterplan is huge because it will involve 1700 square kilometers catchment area for Davao River, Talomo River with 244 square kilometers and the Matina Pangi River with 78 square kilometers.
"So if you add the catchment area for this one major river basin and two principal river basins this will total to over 2,000 square kilometers," Sadain said.
He added the master plan will also include coastal engineering flood wall to avoid storm surge.
"Siltation is also one factor also, once there is flood, it brings down volumes of soil and it settles on the bottom of the seabed, so kailangan din ma-dredge yun (it has to be dredged). There will be dredging works to do," Sadain said.
Sadain added the study will also look if there is a need to construct a dam just in the upstream section.
Davao City Planning officer Ivan Cortez said the behavior of the waters will also be studied.
"Our engagement with Jica determines the behavior of the water where it will run once there will be an overflow, and it will determine the level of water so that the right infrastructure will be built," he said.
Representatives of Jica present Thursday assured they will coordinate with the Jica team that is also currently conducting a study on the city's infrastructure and urban development.
The same team also said they have considered the environmental and social side of the projects that will be proposed.