Naga approaches digitalized flood mitigation system

By Christine Kim Villafuerte

The City Government of Naga gears up to adapt a digitalized flood mitigation system using Hydrologic Engineering Center-Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS), a US-military-developed software, to create faster, accurate and more efficient flood control methods.

Aligned with Mayor Leni Robredo's goal of transforming Naga into a data-driven city, the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), City Engineering Office (CEO), Environmental and Natural Resources Office (ENRO), and expert environmental engineers will work together to collect data from the Naga River and submit it to the HEC-HMS software.

The city will systematically analyze and use the data generated by the software as a baseline for the planning of flood control and river rehabilitation projects.

According to CDRRMO Officer-in-Charge Raynor Rodriguez, due to the high number of residents along Naga River, channel widening will be impossible, thus, they are considering ideas such as dredging or adding another Naga-River-to-Bicol-River waterway channel in the future.

These projects are expected to create sufficient waterway spaces, allowing the city’s water to travel faster to sea, potentially reducing the risk of flooding.

Using the HEC-HMS software, experts can determine in advance the possible outcomes and consequences of the projects, in addition to the inventory and investment of proper tools and machines needed.

Through this method, the amount of time, cost and effort will be minimized, while at the same time ensuring accuracy and overall efficiency.

Rodriguez also emphasized the importance of Naga City's collaboration with and involvement of neighboring towns along the Bicol River in making sure that the city’s flood control measures remain effective.

Moreover, to make current and future flood mitigation projects more proactive, continuous workshops and seminars with experts will be conducted.