DENR eyes new flood management framework

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced Monday it has completed a draft of the National Flood Management Framework, a policy shift aimed at moving the country away from reactive disaster response toward long-term water resource management.

The framework adopts an Integrated Water Resources Management approach. Rather than treating flood control as an isolated issue, the DENR plans to treat floodwaters as a system that supports irrigation, hydropower, food security, and environmental protection.

Environment Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla said the framework will serve as a convergence point for various government agencies.

Currently, flood control and water investments are largely managed outside the DENR, primarily by the Department of Public Works and Highways and the National Irrigation Administration.

“How we string these together — so we can store water, use it during the dry months, and reserve some for treatment — that is the convergence point,” Lotilla said. “The framework is really designed to bring the different agencies together.”

The strategy is built on four core principles. It prioritizes nature-based solutions at headwaters, emphasizing that healthy watersheds are essential to addressing the root causes of flooding. It also promotes the strategic impoundment of stormwater, reframing floodwater as a resource for potable water and energy.

In urban and downstream areas, the plan calls for a mix of “green and gray” infrastructure. This involves combining natural systems like wetlands and mangrove belts with engineered structures such as dikes, pumping stations and early-warning systems.