Extreme rain, shrinking green spaces blamed for Cebu flooding

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Extreme rainfall and fully saturated ground caused the massive flooding during the onslaught of Typhoon Tino in Central Visayas, particularly in Cebu City last year, according to a study conducted by the University of the Philippines.

Researchers from the UP Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology described Tino as an “extreme rainfall event” after it dumped 428 millimeters of rain within 24 hours, far exceeding previous records in the region.

The study said that natural land surfaces like grasslands could only absorb water up to a certain limit.

Researchers cited the impact of the Monterrazas de Cebu development project on flooding in the Guadalupe and Kinalumsan river watersheds.

Computer modeling showed the project’s detention ponds reduced peak runoff by about 70 percent to nearly 100 percent.

The study noted that Metro Cebu lost about 3.21 square kilometers of green space annually from 1994 to 2019 while built-up areas expanded by around 17.77 square kilometers.