Metro still vulnerable to flooding

A QUARTER of Metro Manila’s gross regional domestic product could be wiped out by a storm similar to Ondoy, which devastated the area in September 2009, a report says

Flood-related costs could run up to P112 billion in a situation where the planned infrastructure is not in place and climate change contributes to massive flooding, says the 120-page study, Climate Risks and Adaptation in Asian Coastal Mega-cities.

Floods of different intensity can also cost between 3 percent and 24 percent of Metro Manila’s gross regional domestic product, the report says.

The report examined the impact of climate change on Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Metro Manila under a range of different possibilities through 2050.

All three coastal mega-cities are likely to witness increases in temperature and precipitation linked with climate change and variability, says the report, the result of a two-year collaborative study.


Roderick dela Cruz, Manila Standard Today