By Dylan Pablo Eluardo
With the rainy season right around the corner, Cebu City frequently finds itself grappling with a recurring nightmare: widespread flooding. Every substantial downpour transforms bustling streets into murky rivers, disrupting daily life, causing significant economic losses. This isn’t merely a seasonal inconvenience; it’s a symptom of a deeper, systemic issue that demands an honest reckoning with our urban development choices and a concerted, long-term commitment to genuine solutions.
The causes of perennial flooding are multifaceted and interconnected. The sheer volume of rainfall, exacerbated by climate change and the increasing frequency of intense precipitation events, simply overwhelms existing infrastructure. Our drainage systems, many of which date back decades, were clearly not designed to handle the deluges we now routinely experience.
Perhaps most critically is the relentless pace of unplanned and unregulated urbanization. As the city expands outward and upward, natural absorption areas like forests and green spaces are paved over, replaced by concrete and structures. This loss of permeable surfaces means rainwater has nowhere to go but the streets. Coupled with this is the alarming issue of clogged waterways. Rivers, creeks and drainage canals, once vital arteries for water flow, are increasingly choked with solid waste and informal settlements, effectively turning them into stagnant bottlenecks. This direct obstruction significantly reduces their capacity to carry water away, leading to backlogs and overflows.
However, there must be a shift in mindset from “fighting floods” to “befriending water.” As environmental and hydrology experts suggest, floodwater can be captured and utilized, especially in a region prone to droughts. This means investing in impounding facilities, promoting rainwater harvesting and even exploring the creation of “river parks” that not only manage water but also provide recreational spaces.