[Philippines] Catchment susceptibility to hydrometeorological events: sediment flux and geomorphic change as drivers of flood risk in the Philippines
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: School of Geographical & Earth Sciences
Abstract
River morphology results from sediment transport and sedimentation, which are both a consequence of water flow. Episodic variation in natural (e.g. typhoons, earthquakes, volcanoes) and anthropogenic (e.g. gravel mining, river bank protection) sediment supply drives changes in riverbed levels and sedimentology. These changes determine channel capacity and flow routing, and thus associated flood risk to people and property. The same factors determine variations in lateral bank erosion rates; elevated rates result in the loss of developed floodplain and the failure of critical infrastructure such as road bridges. Despite the significance of variation in riverbed levels and channel position for flood risk, geomorphological processes are commonly overlooked in flood risk mapping. In the Philippines, rivers are particularly dynamic; risks arising from sedimentation and erosion need to be assessed and incorporated into flood risk management to mitigate the impact of flooding on welfare and the economy.
This project aims to: (i) develop a national-scale catchment characteristics database, and associated river geometry relations, to assess the susceptibility of different catchments to morphological change impacts on flood hazard; and (ii) assess flood hazards arising from morphological change associated with variations in sediment supply and the influence of lateral constraints on channel morphological adjustment. To achieve the first aim we will use national scale topographic models and repeat satellite imagery to assess fluvial and landscape characteristics to identify indicators of enhanced channel mobility and sediment transport, with outputs available from a river centreline Geographic Information System with data points every 1 km along the Philippines river network. This national scale dataset will be used by project partners to assess and plan infrastructure developments. To achieve the second aim we will generate repeat, high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of the Pinacanauan de Ilagan River and the Bacarra Rivers, from airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and bathymetric surveys. We will difference these DEMs to map patterns of erosion and deposition during a wet season, and calculate a sediment budget for each river. The DEMs and sediment budget will then be used to parameterise and assess hydro- and morpho-dynamic models that will be used to investigate changes in flood risk due to morphological change. This framework will be used, by project partners, to guide river and flood management in the Pinacanauan de Ilagan and the Bacarra catchments. The framework will also be transferable to other rivers in the Philippines, and farther afield in SE Asia and beyond.
This proposal forges a partnership between the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, the University of Glasgow, four Filipino project partners, and project partner Prof Brierley (University of Auckland). Specifically, the Philippine project partners are: the Mines and Geosciences Bureau; the Department of Public Works and Highways; and two Local Government Units in the study catchments, namely City of Ilagan and Municipality of Vintar. The project brings together UP Diliman's expertise in geomatics with the University of Glasgow's expertise in fluvial geomorphology and numerical modelling, to undertake research that will shed light on the morphodynamics of tropical rivers and produce tools that will be used for sustainable fluvial flood management in the Philippines.
This project aims to: (i) develop a national-scale catchment characteristics database, and associated river geometry relations, to assess the susceptibility of different catchments to morphological change impacts on flood hazard; and (ii) assess flood hazards arising from morphological change associated with variations in sediment supply and the influence of lateral constraints on channel morphological adjustment. To achieve the first aim we will use national scale topographic models and repeat satellite imagery to assess fluvial and landscape characteristics to identify indicators of enhanced channel mobility and sediment transport, with outputs available from a river centreline Geographic Information System with data points every 1 km along the Philippines river network. This national scale dataset will be used by project partners to assess and plan infrastructure developments. To achieve the second aim we will generate repeat, high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of the Pinacanauan de Ilagan River and the Bacarra Rivers, from airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and bathymetric surveys. We will difference these DEMs to map patterns of erosion and deposition during a wet season, and calculate a sediment budget for each river. The DEMs and sediment budget will then be used to parameterise and assess hydro- and morpho-dynamic models that will be used to investigate changes in flood risk due to morphological change. This framework will be used, by project partners, to guide river and flood management in the Pinacanauan de Ilagan and the Bacarra catchments. The framework will also be transferable to other rivers in the Philippines, and farther afield in SE Asia and beyond.
This proposal forges a partnership between the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, the University of Glasgow, four Filipino project partners, and project partner Prof Brierley (University of Auckland). Specifically, the Philippine project partners are: the Mines and Geosciences Bureau; the Department of Public Works and Highways; and two Local Government Units in the study catchments, namely City of Ilagan and Municipality of Vintar. The project brings together UP Diliman's expertise in geomatics with the University of Glasgow's expertise in fluvial geomorphology and numerical modelling, to undertake research that will shed light on the morphodynamics of tropical rivers and produce tools that will be used for sustainable fluvial flood management in the Philippines.
Planned Impact
The impact goal of this project is to deliver novel, evidence-based solutions to flood risk management that will enhance welfare and economic growth, and support the development of geomorphological expertise in research centres and government agencies in the Philippines, ultimately benefiting citizens in the most vulnerable areas. It is expected that this project will provide evidence that can be used to inform a case for investment in flood hazard assessment and river management so as to minimise economic and social costs associated with future hazards arising from morphological change. At present, comprehensive catchment-scale geomorphological analyses are not being undertaken to examine the susceptibility of rivers to morphological change, which has resulted in catastrophic failure of bridges and loss of property to lateral erosion. A national-scale catchment characteristics database and a review of hydraulic geometry relations used in engineering practice will provide a foundation for more comprehensive incorporation of morphological change into river management and thus reduce flood hazards. The project team will work with policy makers, government organisations, practitioners and communities to identify the main challenges and interventions that can be used to inform appropriate management activities. During the project, the team have direct access to these stakeholders.
Beneficiaries that have been identified and where contact has been established by the UK Principal Investigator and Philippine Principal Investigator include:
(i) the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and two Local Government Units (LGUs) in the study catchments, namely City of Ilagan and Municipality of Vintar. The research team has established a strong working relationship with the policy and practice leads at these organisations.
(ii) A "wider" end-user group, many of whom attended a joint UP and UofG seminar discussion on "Using terrain data in modelling river hydraulics and sediment transport" on 29 January 2018, includes government organisations: the River Basin Control Office (DENR-RBCO), National Institute of Geological Sciences (UP NIGS), Marine Science Institute (UP MSI), UP College of Engineering - Department of Geodetic Engineering & Training Centre for Applied Geodesy and Photogrammetry, Institute of Environmental Science & Meteorology (IESM), Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA), National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Centre, and Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB);
(iii) Industry partners: Geoscience Foundation Inc, Metro Pacific Investment Corporation and Primewater (Philippines). Williams and Hoey have previous or existing funded projects working with Scottish Water, SEPA, and CBEC Engineering who will be interested in the approaches used in this study and potentially inform their future practice.
(iv) Public: citizens of affected and non-affected areas with interests in flood risk and increasing their preparedness and reliance to such events.
Knowledge exchange activities will include River Styles, Geomorphic Change Detection and flood risk workshops, local focus groups, and a dynamic rivers symposium. These activities will ensure that research findings are used by Philippine beneficiaries to reduce flood risk in the catchment study areas and guide fluvial geomorphological assessments at a national level.
Beneficiaries that have been identified and where contact has been established by the UK Principal Investigator and Philippine Principal Investigator include:
(i) the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and two Local Government Units (LGUs) in the study catchments, namely City of Ilagan and Municipality of Vintar. The research team has established a strong working relationship with the policy and practice leads at these organisations.
(ii) A "wider" end-user group, many of whom attended a joint UP and UofG seminar discussion on "Using terrain data in modelling river hydraulics and sediment transport" on 29 January 2018, includes government organisations: the River Basin Control Office (DENR-RBCO), National Institute of Geological Sciences (UP NIGS), Marine Science Institute (UP MSI), UP College of Engineering - Department of Geodetic Engineering & Training Centre for Applied Geodesy and Photogrammetry, Institute of Environmental Science & Meteorology (IESM), Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA), National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Centre, and Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB);
(iii) Industry partners: Geoscience Foundation Inc, Metro Pacific Investment Corporation and Primewater (Philippines). Williams and Hoey have previous or existing funded projects working with Scottish Water, SEPA, and CBEC Engineering who will be interested in the approaches used in this study and potentially inform their future practice.
(iv) Public: citizens of affected and non-affected areas with interests in flood risk and increasing their preparedness and reliance to such events.
Knowledge exchange activities will include River Styles, Geomorphic Change Detection and flood risk workshops, local focus groups, and a dynamic rivers symposium. These activities will ensure that research findings are used by Philippine beneficiaries to reduce flood risk in the catchment study areas and guide fluvial geomorphological assessments at a national level.
Organisations
- University of Glasgow (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of the Philippines Diliman (Collaboration)
- Department of Public Works and Highways (Project Partner)
- University of Auckland (Project Partner)
- Municipality of Vintar (Project Partner)
- City of Ilagan (Project Partner)
- University of the Philippines System (Project Partner)
- Dept of Env & Nat Resource (Philippines) (Project Partner)
Publications
Boothroyd R
(2020)
River Flow 2020
Boothroyd R
(2020)
Applications of Google Earth Engine in fluvial geomorphology for detecting river channel change
in WIREs Water
Boothroyd R.J.
(2020)
Detecting and quantifying morphological change in tropical rivers using Google Earth Engine and image analysis techniques
in River Flow 2020 - Proceedings of the 10th Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics
Boothroyd RJ
(2021)
National-scale assessment of decadal river migration at critical bridge infrastructure in the Philippines.
in The Science of the total environment
Boothroyd RJ
(2023)
National-scale geodatabase of catchment characteristics in the Philippines for river management applications.
in PloS one
Brierley G
(2021)
The dark art of interpretation in geomorphology
in Geomorphology
Dingle E
(2019)
Decadal-scale morphological adjustment of a lowland tropical river
in Geomorphology
Description | Municipal Resolution, Municipality of Vintar, the Philippines, for a Memorandum of Agreement to reduce flooding through adoption of policies based on the project |
Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or Improved professional practice |
Impact | Through training of staff and dissemination of new data, the Municipality has new resources available to assist in planning decisions surrounding protection of riverbanks against erosion, aggregate mining from the riverbed, and flood management. The Resolution (see quote above) makes it clear that the Municipality intends to use the results of the project in making planning and management decisions. The impacts will only become fully apparent over a few (5-10) years as river response to flood events is an ongoing process. Further, due to Covid-19 we have been unable to re-visit the site to examine impacts in detail. |
Description | EU COST Action 16208 Knowledge Conversion For Enhancing Management Of European Riparian Ecosystems And Services (CONVERGES) |
Amount | € 1,150 (EUR) |
Organisation | European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) |
Sector | Public |
Country | Belgium |
Start | 03/2019 |
End | 04/2019 |
Description | PAMANA: Philippine Mining at the National to Catchment Scale - from Legacy Impacts to Sustainable Futures |
Amount | £1,206,493 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/W006871/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2021 |
End | 10/2024 |
Description | Philippine Mining at the National to Catchment Scale: from Legacy Impacts to Sustainable Futures |
Amount | £50,394 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/W000482/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2021 |
End | 08/2021 |
Description | Training in natural river management |
Amount | £37,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Government of Scotland |
Department | Scottish Funding Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2019 |
End | 05/2020 |
Title | Catchment Project: Philippines Catchment and Stream Network GIS database |
Description | The data set summarises topographically derived catchment and stream network properties for 135 catchments in the Philippines. An interactive version of the data set is available here: https://glasgow-uni.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=a88b9ca0919f4400881eab4a26370cee. A nationwide digital elevation model (DEM) acquired in 2013 and generated through airborne Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IfSAR) was used for the analysis. Catchment and stream network properties were calculated using TopoToolbox V2. The data set can be opened in GIS software. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | The dataset underpins a manuscript in preparation. |
URL | http://researchdata.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/1218 |
Title | National-scale geodatabase of catchment characteristics in the Philippines |
Description | This dataset contains a national-scale geodatabase of stream network and river catchment characteristics in the Philippines. It presents detailed information on 128 medium- to large-sized catchments (catchment area > 250 km2). The quantitative descriptions provide context for enabling geomorphologically-informed sustainable river management. The geodatabase provides a baseline understanding of fundamental topographic characteristics in support of varied geomorphological, hydrological and geohazard susceptibility applications. Data sets include: 1) GIS shapefiles with river catchment properties; 2) GIS shapefiles with stream network properties; 3) spreadsheets containing morphometric and topographic characteristics (n = 91); 4) example MATLAB code and topographic data to replicate the analysis for a selected catchment. The work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) - Newton Fund grant NE/S003312/1. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2024 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/49ae11ec-e4e5-4e4a-b091-976d18c4ee3e |
Title | River channel migration and characteristics from 1988 to 2019 at 74 bridges in the Philippines |
Description | The data set contains the Philippines bridge inventory, river migration geodatabase and source code to assess active river channel change (i.e. planform adjustments) using Landsat 5, 7 and 8 products in Google Earth Engine. The data set contains hydro-morphological and bridge characteristics for 74 bridges (> 200 m deck length) in the Philippines from 1988 to 2019 and is available in .csv and .shp format. For a given region of interest (ROI), the code will extract active river channel masks, calculate similarity coefficients between active river channel masks at decadal intervals and calculate active widths and centreline statistics. The code was used by Boothroyd et al. (in press) to investigate decadal river migration at critical bridge infrastructure in the Philippines. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | The dataset was used in the following publication: Boothroyd, R. J., Williams, R. D., Hoey, T. B., Tolentino, P. L. M., & Yang, X. (2021). National-scale assessment of decadal river migration at critical bridge infrastructure in the Philippines. Science of the Total Environment, 768, [144460]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144460 |
URL | https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/2efd24f9-e745-4f54-8bbd-6439b0ad93e5 |
Description | National Engineering Centre, University of the Philippines - Diliman. |
Organisation | University of the Philippines Diliman |
Country | Philippines |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This project is a collaboration between academics at the National Engineering Centre, University of the Philippines - Diliman, and the University of Glasgow. |
Collaborator Contribution | This project has 3 research assistants at the National Engineering Centre, University of the Philippines - Diliman. These research assistants are contributing to all project work packages. |
Impact | See publications |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Blog post for PreventionWeb, the United Nations knowledge platform for disaster risk reduction |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Blog post written to highlight how satellite images can be used to monitor river channel change in the vicinity of bridges; the post was widely shared on Twitter/Linkedin resulting in a conversation with a freelance international science writer (https://natashavizcarra.com/). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.preventionweb.net/blog/monitoring-moving-rivers-analysing-threats-critical-bridges-phili... |
Description | Making space for Philippine rivers workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A three-day workshop on the theme of "making space for Philippine rivers" was delivered to embed fluvial geomorphology in practice. The in-person workshop took place on 24-26 March 2023 in Manila, with 80 registered participants. It was attended by researchers and experts from numerous National Government Agencies (NGAs) , including the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), as well as innovators and experts from various higher education institutions and state colleges. Day 1 showcased research outputs from the original project, offered global perspectives on river management and enabled discussions around the policy brief. Day 2 involved a field visit to the Norzagaray River for field-based instruction and discussion, to consolidate geomorphic principles for sustainable river management. Day 3 focused on knowledge transfer by introducing providing a series of hands-on training activities themed around applied aspects of river science (including river management, river mobility, hydrology and fluvial geomorphology). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://me-qr.com/mobile/pdf/13535216 |
Description | River Styles Workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Training in the internationally recognised 'River Styles Framework' (https.riverstyles.com) was conducted in November 2019 by the River Styles developers (Prof Brierley, Auckland; Prof Fryirs, Macquarie). 29 participants from local, regional and national government and agencies in the Philippines, and from Philippines and UK universities attended the 5-day workshop. Participants were trained in River Styles and were able to submit assessments for accreditation during the following months. Four participants are accredited as River Stylers, and 12 more have Provisional accreditation. The project team prepared a full River Styles report on the Bislak River, and have published a paper describing this (Tolentino et al., 2021). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019,2020 |
URL | https://riverstyles.com/ |
Description | Training workshop - National-scale fluvial geomorphology characterisation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This is the second in a series of 3 workshops. The project developed new, automated methods for characterising catchment geomorphology using a GIS platform, remote sensing Earth observation data sets and a range of Philippines national data. Training took place online, via live presentations, pre-recorded videos (3 videos; available over YouTube), practical exercises, message-board support, and assessed tasks. The UK team provided the presentations, and local support through Google Classroom was provided by the Philippines team. . Participants came from seven universities, national agencies (Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB), and DOST's Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services, Administration (PAGASA)). The workshops used free software (QGIS) which will facilitate use of the methods that were introduced. The impact of the workshops is clear from participants' feedback, for example: "I like that live sessions are brief and that the work is passed down to the participants to fully experience the exercises. I also appreciate that the datasets including other workshop materials were readily available in the Google classroom and accessible to everyone anytime. The speakers were impressive with their backgrounds, research experiences and know-how on topics that are really significant nowadays." |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | Training workshop - geomorphic change detection |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The third Workshop focused on Geomorphic Change Detection. Training took place online, via live presentations, pre-recorded videos (3 videos; available over YouTube), practical exercises, message-board support, and assessed tasks. The UK team provided the presentations, and local support through Google Classroom was provided by the Philippines team. . Participants came from seven universities, national agencies (Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB), and DOST's Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services, Administration (PAGASA)). The workshops used free software (QGIS and GCD), and novel data (LiDAR Digital Elevation model) which will facilitate use of the methods that were introduced. The impact of the workshops is clear from participants' feedback, for example: "the training can aid in developing (my organisations) geohazard maps by incorporating the new methodologies discussed." |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | Training workshop - hydrological data analysis |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Hydrological data analysis (flood estimation; flow duration; statistical prediction for ungauged catchments) was identified during field visits and on-site meetings as being an area for CPD training. Training took place online, via live presentations, pre-recorded videos (7 videos; available over YouTube), practical exercises, message-board support, and assessed tasks. The UK team provided the presentations, and local support through Google Classroom was provided by the Philippines team. . Participants came from seven universities, national agencies (Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB), and DOST's Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services, Administration (PAGASA)). The workshops used free software (R) which will facilitate use of the methods that were introduced. The impact of the workshops is clear from participants' feedback, for example: "The challenge [is to update our] knowledge on current trends. Such as the importance of R language or any programming language for inferential statistics with applications in hydrology like regression. Experienced and credible instructors made the workshop possible by providing us with programs, software, and online videos." |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |