Nature-based solutions for flood risk management: revitalizing philippine rivers to boost climate resilience and enhance environmental stability

The Philippines is preparing for more severe and frequent flooding as climate change ramps up extreme weather events. This brief shares insights from pilot projects developing integrated flood risk management in major Philippine river basins. It distills lessons on harnessing the functions of natural river systems to boost climate resilience at relatively low cost. Nature-based solutions (NbS) include restoring wetlands, developing water retention areas, removing obstacles, and reviving old channels. They can complement conventional infrastructure to improve flood protection and create additional environmental and social benefits.

Including nature and NbS into management of rivers and coasts is a field that has garnered global attention. However, the practice is still relatively uncommon in project design and implementation due to (i) the lack of generic guidelines and rules, (ii) a small evidence base, and (iii) the perception of gray infrastructure as a main form of infrastructure and skepticism against green infrastructure as being effective and lasting, and (iv) the minimal inclusion of co-benefits in the analysis, among others.