Project Title: Support for the 2nd European Conference on FLOODrisk Management in
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Project Partners: Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation, Asian Development Bank and
UNESCO-IHE
Background:
The Philippines is ranked first among the countries considered to be vulnerable to the impacts of climate-change. Since it sits between two large bodies of water: the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, the Philippines is frequently affected by tropical storms. The country is exposed to natural hazards, ranging from typhoons and floods to earthquakes, volcanic eruption, tsunamis, landslides, and drought.
In the past few years, the country has been plagued with weather disasters most notable are typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng, Sendong and most recently, Typhoon Habagat wherein the island of Luzon was inundated by intense rain and thunderstorms for an 8-day period from August 1 to August 8, 2012. The National Capital Region, CALABARZON (Quezon, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal) and the provinces of Region 3 namely Bulacan, Pampanga and Bataan were damaged due to the floods and heavy winds caused by the rains.
On the 20th – 22nd November 2012, the 2nd European Conference on FLOODrisk Management was held at the World Trade Center in Rotterdam, The Netherlands to explore research advances in flood risk analysis and innovations in flood risk management practice which can help our country tackle the various issues that are encountered during the typhoon season.
With the theme of Science, Policy and Practice: Closing the Gap, the conference considered all aspects of flood risk and covered the causes of floods, their impacts on people, property and the environment, and portfolios of risk management measures.
The Philippines, with the help of the Asian Development Bank and UNESCO-IHE sent a delegation to the conference in order to learn new and/or alternative ways to deal with flooding. The participants are as follows:
- Hon. Rogelio Singson
Secretary, Department of Public Works and Highways
- Hon. Neric Acosta
Presidential Advisor on Environmental Protection
- Hon. Francis Tolentino
Chairman, Metro Manila Development Authority
- Hon. Manuel Gerochi
Undersecretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources
- Ms. Leonor Cleofas
Assistant Administrator, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System
- Mr. Geodino Carpio
Operations Group Director, Manila Water Inc.
- Mr. Klaas Oreel
Delegation Head
The Conference, Visit New Waterway Storm Barrier, visit Deltares
The FloodRisk Management Conference was a three-day event. With the exception of the first morning, the entire conference was made up of parallel sessions as seen in the attached itinerary. In total, there were 34 technical sessions, 13 special sessions, 4 plenary sessions, and 3 poster sessions. Topics included the following: Flood Hazard Analysis, Flood Risk Management, Flood Prediction and Early Warning, Flood Consequences, Flood Event Management, Flood Defences, Governance and Policy Instruments, Inundation Modeling, and Evacuation and Rescue.
In summary, the conference highlighted the importance of the idea of “Give Way to Water.” This mindset is seen as an alternative to the current idea of “Fighting Nature”. The conference emphasized the fact that we, as people who have the power and the capability to work in the area of flood management, shouldbe mindful of working with nature. An example given during the conference is the idea that it is no longer viewed as prudent to just only keep on increasing the height of the dikes in the Netherlands; instead, rivers should also be given wider and deeper flood planes.
The idea of “Working with Nature” has made an impact on the Philippine delegation particularly Secretary Rogelio Singson (DPWH) and Secretary Neric Acosta (Special Advisor on Environmental Protection). They mentioned this mindset several times in their speeches during the ADB Flood Management Forum in Manila, which was held December 4-5, 2012.
During the week we spent in Holland we paid a visit to the Maeslantkering in the Nieuwe Waterweg near Rotterdam. The Maeslantkering is a storm surge barrier that protects Rotterdam against Force 10 to 12 storms. The delegation was duly impressed with the high tech approach to protect the city of Rotterdam from storm surges by using this storm barrier during extreme weather events.
The delegation also visited the Deltares institute in Delft where Mr Tjitte Nauta presented the various works that Deltares is capable of doing. The presentation was well received by the group. Secretary Singson requested Deltares to review the Flood Management study, which was done by a Japanese consultant under the wings of DPWH and Worldbank. It was agreed that Mr. Klaas Oreel will follow up with both Secretary Singson and Deltares.
Itinerary:
Monday, 19 November 2012 (Rotterdam Tour)
9.00 Opening (Drs. Bert Hooijer, Director RDM Campus)
9:05Presentation (Prof. Dr. Ir. Jan Rotmans, Professor Sustainable Transitions and System Innovations at Erasmus University Rotterdam)
9.30 Presentation (Dr. Rutger de Graaf, Director and founding partner of DeltaSync, a leading international floating urbanization specialist and professor Adaptive Urban Development at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences)
10.15 Presentation on Rotterdam Climate Proof by Drs. Corjan Gebraad, Senior Advisor Rotterdam Climate Proof. A presentation about the adaptation strategies of the city of Rotterdam
10.45 Water taxi to RDM Campus
11.00 Guided tour around RDM Campus (Dr. Bert Hooijer, Director RDM Campus)
11.45 Explorative session on future co-operation for the Sustainable Water Fund tender (to be opened in 2013)
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
11.30Plenary Sessions
- Adaptive delta management in the Dutch Delta and its research challenges - Wim Kuijken, Delta commissioner of the Netherlands
- Implementing the Flood Directive - challenges in Europe - Mark Adamson, Chair of Common Implementation Strategy WGF
- Horizon 2020: The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation - Philippe Quevauviller, EC Environmental Policy Officer
- Flood Control 2015: Five years of public-private partnership in smart flood control celebratory launch of the Floodcontrol book - Piet Dircke, Chair of the Flood Control Foundation
12.30Flood Control 2015 game presentation
13.30Poster Sessions
14.00Flood Hazard Analysis 1
Flood Risk Management 1
Flood Prediction and Early Warning 1
Flood Consequences 1
FC2015 1: Collaboration for Smarter Flood Control
What's wrong with the other system? New directions for multi-layer safety in a growing complex
Society
16.00Flood Hazard Analysis 2
Flood Risk Management 2
Flood Prediction and Early Warning 2
Flood Consequences 2
Controlling floods and droughts: integrated river basin management in (trans)national rivers
The EU Floods Directive Part I: Potential barriers and best practices in science-policy interfacing
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
9.00Kick-off – Jaap Kwadijk Scientific Director of Deltares
An Ambassador’s retrospective on Flood Event Management of the Bangkok Flooding – Joan
Boer, Ambassador of the Netherlands in Thailand
The influence of Xynthia on policy and practice – Jean-Philippe Lalande/Anne-Marie Levraut
Impact of Flood Retention Strategies in Mississippi and Missouri – Ed Link, Professor at Maryland
University and former USACE staff
Recovery and Resilience – Experience from Recent Queensland Disasters – Graeme Miligan,
General Manager at the Queensland Reconstruction Authority
11.00Flood Hazard Analysis 3
Flood Risk management 3
Flood Event Management 1
Flood Defences 1
Government and Policy Instruments 1
The EU Floods Directive Part II: Ways Forward in Improving Science-Policy Interfacing
14.00Flood Hazard Analysis 4
Flood Risk Management 4
Flood Event Management 2
Flood Defences 2
Governance and Policy Instruments 2
Challenges inflood risk management in Thailand
16.00Inundation Modeling
Flood Risk Management 5
Evacuation and Rescue
Flood Defences 3
Governance and Policy Instuments 3
Be prepared! Taking effective decisions with operational forecasting in rivers and coastal areas
Thursday, 22 November 2012
9.00Flood Risk Analysis 1
11.00Flood Risk Analysis 2
12.30Example of New Instruments Supporting Flood Risk Governance
1.30Poster Sessions
2.00Flood Risk Analysis 3
4.00Plenary Session
One of the biggest catchments in Europe: the Danube river basin - Mr. Peter Bakonyi, VITUKI
Environmental Protection and Water Management Research Institute
Adaptive urban flood risk management of Ho Chi Minh City - Ho Long Phi, Director of the Center
of Water management and Climate Change, Vietnam National University, Hanoi
Where next in flood risk management? - a personal view on research needs - Prof. Paul Samuels, Technical Director of HR Wallingford
Friday, 23 November 2012
9.30 Welcome and introductions (Erik Janse, Directorof Deltares)
9.45 Flood Risk Management & Philippines (Tjitte Nauta - Regional Manager South and East Asia)
10.15 Geo-engineering and Dike Safety (Jos Maccabiani)
11.00 Discussion on Follow-up and Possible Cooperation