The coastal town of Palo, Leyte has been chosen as the first to implement a flood mitigation project using floodwater collection technology from South Korea.
If successful, the P28-million Rainfall and Stormwater Runoff Management Technology for Tropical Catchment (RainS-TECH) project funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) can be replicated in other flood-prone parts of the Philippines, officials said.
“The three-year project aims to develop innovative systems, practices, technologies, and techniques that utilize and mimic the natural processes for the management of rainfall and stormwater runoff in pre-developed to post-developed tropical watersheds,” DOST-Region 8 Director John Glenn Ocaña told media.
Infiltration Trenches
RainS-TECH, benchmarked in South Korea and piloted in Palo, adjacent to Tacloban City, is up for replication in other flood-prone, populated communities across the country.
The major component is the construction of infiltration trenches in the town center and Baras village.
Infiltration trenches are linear ditches that collect rainwater from adjacent surfaces. Their highly permeable soils allow the water to quickly seep into the ground.
“Due to development activities, the natural filtration is very limited and triggers flooding. The technology will bring the floodwater back to the ground and help recharge the water table,” Ocaña added.
Implementation and Flooding
The project will also install a rainwater harvesting system at the Palo municipal hall building.
Prof. Marla Maniquiz-Redillas, a department of civil engineering professor at De La Salle University in Manila, led the implementation of the project.
Redillas proposed the project after their team’s recent study of the flooding problem in Palo town.
The project is expected to be completed by 2026. (With reports from PNA)
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