FINAL PROJECT REPORT

INTEGRATING DISASTER RESILIENCE

IN CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

Homeless Peoples’ Federation Philippines, Inc. (HPFPI)

Philippine Action for Community-led Shelter Initiatives PACSII)

Prepared by the

Environmental Science for Social Change

May 2010
INTRODUCTION

To cope with the demands of their numerous ongoing and planned shelter-related
undertakings, Homeless Peoples Federation Philippines (HPFPI), with assistance from
the Philippine Action for Community-led Shelter Initiatives (PACSII), is establishing
and expanding their professional support partners. Last year, HPFPI-PACSII sought
partnership with Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC) in building the
capacity of their urban poor associations for climate change adaptation to increase
their resilience to disasters.

HPFPI and PACSII are strong in community organizing and fostering community-led
initiatives, and ESSC values the opportunity to work with urban poor associations to
strengthen their housing-related initiatives. In the engagement with HPFPI-PACSII
over the past year, adaptation to the threats associated with climate change focused
mainly on integrating landslide and flooding risk reduction in the selection of
relocation sites, planning on site development, and upgrading and management of
currently occupied sites. Climate change, which is triggering severe rainfall events,
poses huge threats to the safety of urban poor groups in their highly vulnerable
housing sites. ESSC draws on visits conducted in other disaster hit areas in the
country that were limited to HPFPI sites.

ACTIVITIES COMPLETED

Participatory site assessment

The ESSC project team conducted site visits with association members, HPFPI
regional volunteers and PACSII in selected sites in Quezon City, Rizal Province,
Albay Province, Iloilo City, Davao City, Digos City, and Kidapawan City.

Participatory site assessment is a tool for understanding the potential of flooding or

landslide at a site that other associations can eventually do themselves. During the
site visits, the ESSC project team, with association officers, HPFPI volunteers and
PACSII, walked around the acquired properties or housing sites, checking out
indicators and condition which might contribute to future landslide and flooding.

What the associations found of value was the direct exchange of information and
views: ESSC sharing observations as well as some recommendations and the
association members validating some observations, sharing their knowledge and
clarifying their concerns. The observed indicators of landslide and flooding hazards
onsite and in the immediate surroundings were then related to available site
development plans for acquired lots or the actual location of houses. The assessment
at the housing site-level allowed for the identification of specific lots, block areas, or
houses at high risk to landslide or flooding hazards.

The environmental indicators and conditions, such as topography (slope incline and
curvature), drainage and streams (location in a catchment, evidence of shallow
groundwater, springs, seepages), and features associated with past landslides and
sedimentation are discussed in the manual ESSC put together as a practical guide for
HPFPI. People with no technical background can observe most of these indicators
and conditions in the landscape. Initial assessment of prospective properties should

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Final Project Report to HPFPI-PACSII, May 2010
be integrated in the process for acquiring properties. Associations are strongly
encouraged to conduct their initial assessments to avoid poor site choices and to
consult technical professionals to validate their assessments.

Manual on integrating landslide and flooding disaster risk reduction in housing

initiatives

The manual is a key tool for strengthening capacities of HPFPI member-associations

in their various community-led shelter initiatives. Adaptation strategies to existing
flooding and landslide risk conditions, which can be aggravated by climate change
impacts, are integrated in three major areas in HPFPI’s community-led shelter
initiatives and disaster interventions.

Informed site selection for relocation site acquisition

The first part of the manual provides a brief overview of the community-led shelter
initiatives of HPFPI and the integration of landslide and flooding risk reduction in
these efforts. For self-financed relocation or offsite land acquisition initiatives,
careful site selection is crucial, so that the hard-earned savings of low-income families
will be invested in a property that is out of harm’s way. For this, the manual
discusses landslide and flooding indicators and some initial guide questions.

Exposure of a site to landslide and flood risks may not be a priority in an association’s
criteria (affordability, accessibility, livelihood opportunities, etc.) in selecting sites for
their relocation areas. Or some associations may decide to accept the risk for more
immediate benefits that the site gives, such as affordability and proximity to the road
and social centers. What is important is that the decision they make is informed and
their understanding of landslide and flooding risks should guide them in future
responses.

Setting basic standards in site planning and development

Another part of the manual relates the experiences of HPFPI member-associations in

their various savings-based housing initiatives, disaster context (previous disaster
experiences and existing site conditions) and needed responses, or current adaptation
strategies. The accounts highlight the learnings and significant points that other
associations can learn from.

For the acquired properties in Montalban, Rizal and Camalig, Albay where some
portions are prone to landslides, the existing conditions such as the slopes and natural
drainage, set certain limitations on the developments to be done onsite, and these must
be the starting point of site planning and actual development. Where conditions that
favor the occurrence of landslide and flooding are present in certain areas in a site,
basic standards in site planning, development and house construction must ensure that
these conditions are not made worse or that new risks are not created.

An important technical input in site planning is the geohazard identification survey-

geohazard assessment report (GIS-GAR) System of the Mines and Geosciences
Bureau (MGB-DENR), which is part of the application for Environmental
Compliance Certificate (ECC). The GIS is a preliminary investigation of flooding,

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landslide and other hazards within and around a site that can affect a proposed
housing development. The GAR is required if further assessment of the hazards
identified in the GIS is warranted to find out more thoroughly the potential impacts of
observed hazards and the corresponding recommendations to reduce or mitigate these.
The value of undergoing the ECC is in the findings and recommendations of the GIS
and GAR which should then inform site development plans.

Integrating site management, disaster preparedness and community upgrading

The main manual presents a general guide on integrating landslide and flooding risk
reduction in selecting relocation sites, doing site planning and undertaking community
upgrading projects or managing a housing site. This section provides an overview of
landslide and flooding urban areas and the broader landscapes (i.e., watershed) where
the sites are located. It identifies the factors that contribute to the proneness of certain
area to these risks. It provides strategies on how to integrate landslide and flooding
risk reduction in housing initiatives. Included as well are practical adaptation and risk
reduction measures within the capacity of housing groups to implement in addressing
their immediate risk conditions in their housing sites.

On-site settlers who opt to remain in the areas they are currently occupying, knowing
the realities of flooding or landslide potential, must increase their understanding of the
conditions in their housing sites that can make them prone to these hazards. Such
awareness should guide them in their plans to upgrade or manage their communities
and to address their disaster risks, including seeking timely advice. To maximize the
benefits of community upgrading projects, the design of such projects should
integrate, where possible, the reduction of existing landslide or flooding risks in an
area and must avoid creating new risks or aggravating the existing conditions that
favor the occurrence of landslide or flooding.

Disaster preparedness efforts

Part of site management in areas that are prone to flooding disaster is disaster
preparedness. There are a few associations that are preparing potential disaster events
that can affect their sites. Sooc Project V HOA in Iloilo City implements its own
flood forecasting and early warning system. They use a barbeque stick to measure the
rise in the water level and the current along the Calahunan Creek during heavy rains
as basis to decide whether to evacuate or not. Likewise, the Tagumpay ng
Magkakapitbahay HOA in Quezon City also monitors the rise in the level of a nearby
creek during continuous rains to know if they need to warn their neighbors to leave
their houses for higher ground until the water recedes.

While these community based disaster warning efforts are useful during smaller
rainfall events, they were no match to the volume and intensity of rainfall during
Typhoon Frank (2008) that flooded Iloilo City and Typhoon Ondoy (2009) that
flooded Metro Manila. The value of preparing for disasters in small events is that it
builds people’s consciousness of their risk conditions and pro-activeness in taking
action for their safety and preparedness. The limitations of these initiatives to larger
scale flooding events underscore the need to link these initiatives and the need to
coordinate with local government units (LGUs), homeowners or neighborhood
associations and other partners.

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Mangroves management

The coastal communities in Iloilo City and Digos City are actively maintaining the
mangrove areas near their housing sites. Aside from the livelihood benefits they
derive from the mangroves through sustainable extraction with adequate re-planting
and rehabilitation efforts, they recognize the importance of mangroves as a natural
protection against storm surges, strong waves, in regulating seasonal flooding and in
reducing coastal erosion. Mangroves management is a local climate change
adaptation and mitigation response.

At the National Workshop in Digos City in February 2010, a comment was raised on
whether it was worthwhile to ‘manualize’ housing-related processes, given that the
contexts and dynamics of the associations are not the same and associations accept
their exposure to risks. Recognizing the diversity of the associations’ situations, the
standards and procedures set forth in the manual are not to be taken as rigidly
prescriptive for all sites. As a reference, their applicability will depend on site-
specific conditions. The bottomline is that there are natural conditions that indicate
risks which must neither be ignored nor negotiated and for which some basic
standards must be set. The manual is a starting point to lay down some basic
standards in relation to natural conditions that cannot be negotiated.

A copy of the first draft of the manual was shared with the HPFPI/PACSII regional
offices. Their national office raised the need for a more simplified document, with a
translation and glossary of terms. Taking this suggestion into consideration and after
the ESSC team’s own review, the initial draft was re-worked in a question-and-
answer format. The manual is written in English as a general reference material that
can be translated into regional languages – Filipino, Bicol and Bisaya – in the future.

Community mapping (CM) for site planning and re-blocking

Community mapping was an initial activity designed for this work. However, as
ESSC communicated after the site visits, the housing site was at micro-scale for the
landscape-scale approach in CM that ESSC adapts in engaging with local
communities for natural resource management.

There is actually an effort within HPFPI to develop a CM process for reblocking and
site planning as ESSC found out during the Feb 2010 HPFPI national workshop in
Digos City. HPFPI-Visayas, with their volunteer architects, are developing a
participatory CM process for site planning and re-blocking to the scale and specific
details required. This type of CM will help build the capacity of associations to
participate in site planning and re-blocking, especially with the sad experiences of
some associations with their hired engineers who gave them unsatisfactory table plans
or did not render complete services for their money.

Where ESSC can help is in locating the housing sites in the broader landscape, i.e.,
where these are located in a watershed, and the implications of the broader context to
the site.

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WAYS FORWARD

Localization of the manual

As suggested in previous meetings, what would be more helpful for the associations
are workshops where the contents of the manual would be presented to the members
and they would clarify their concerns as well as share their experiences and
knowledge. This is a way to popularize the manual through actual presentations and
discussions.

These workshops can also serve as a collaborative process for the manual review and
further development – it is a work in progress – into a form that can be readily used.
The sharing of experiences, perceptions and learnings by the associations during the
workshop can further enrich the manual. The participatory workshops may also be
designed to translate certain sections of the manual that associations find applicable
and relevant to their particular contexts into Filipino, Bicol or Bisaya and presented in
primer form. As it is written now, the manual covers a wide range of topics and not
all these topics may be relevant to one association.

It is important for the associations to learn from the experiences of others.

Unfortunately, a group in Guinobatan, Albay recently selected a property with a
sloping terrain described to be worse than the Camalig site. The group chose the site
on their own, and the regional HPFPI learned about this after the initial payment was
paid. This is one instance where the manual could contribute to a more informed
decision for the associations in site selection.

Continuing collaboration in ongoing and planned HPFPI-PACSII activities

ESSC is continuing its engagement with the Payatas Scavengers Homeowners

Association (PSHAI) in Montalban in the ‘Pro-poor eco-settlement study’ of the
United Nations (UN-ESCAP). The study aims to showcase PSHAI’s relocation sites
as a model of community-led relocation efforts, drawing on its experiences such as
savings-based housing construction (e.g., CLIFF project), eco-settlement (ESCAP
research), developing good partnership with the LGU, incorporating risk assessment
in site planning. The report on the site assessment done will be further presented to
the association for their consideration in re-planning.

Strengthening capacity in housing-related processes and disaster risk reduction

As developers of their housing projects, the associations and HPFPI regional units
deal with various government requirements for a housing project, and in most cases,
with no or minimal experiences. They obtain learnings in the process, but sometimes,
at a cost. Drawing on the experience of the Payatas Scavengers HOA, Inc. (PSHAI)
in Montalban, Rizal Province, it is important for the housing associations to know the
importance of housing-related requirements so that they have a general hold of the
process as they deal with different offices in government.

A critical requirement is the GIS-GAR System of MGB-DENR. More than the

certificate of environmental compliance or ECC, what is of more value to the HOAs
are the results and recommendations of the geologic assessments in their site

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development-site planning, so that possible disasters that can result from landslides
and other hazards are avoided. To maximize the money they invest in these studies,
the associations should proactively arrange with the regional MGB staff and the
private consultants they hire to explain their observations during fieldwork and to
discuss with the members their initial and recommendations.

Linking with LGUs in disaster risk preparedness and adaptation to climate

change

Responses to flooding and landslide disaster-related impacts of climate change need

to be undertaken at different levels. Organized urban poor housing groups can
undertake some practical strategies within their means to ensure safer housing sites
and to improve their disaster risk adaptation capacity. However, there will be
limitations in what housing groups can do through their own means, since the scale of
the threat of climate change impacts are beyond the control of the housing
site/association unit. Thus, coordination with the LGUs is needed and local and
national governance responses are necessary. There are ongoing efforts at the level of
the city government in Iloilo and provincial government in Albay province for which
the HPFPI associations can link.

The ESSC Project Team that undertook this activity:

Dallay Annawi – Team Leader

Pedro Walpole, SJ – Research and Analysis
Iris Legal, Scholastic Jun-G Bargayo – Technical support
Emmanuel Sambale, Ariel Amor, and Myra Colis – Mapping support

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