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Nature and Environment

Relocation to escape flooding in Manila

Gönna Ketels
July 23, 2019

Many slum dwellers in the Philippine capital Manila live in constant fear of flooding. Now their shelters, often located near water, are to be cleared away as part of the city's flood management plans.

https://p.dw.com/p/3MJrp
Improvised shelter: woman and child sit close to water
Image: DW/R. Richter

Manila: fleeing rising water levels

More and more people are heading to Manila in search of work. In the Philippine capital, one third of the 15 million population live in slums. Because their improvised shelters are often close to water they live in constant fear of flooding. Intense flooding following typhoons is becoming more regular here, as climate change increases the occurrence of extreme weather.

Trash management in the slum also contributes to the problem: garbage clogs the drains and their shelters often block waterways. Now a new relocation project is trying to improve the situation. The first 100 people have been moved into apartments where they receive cheap rent in return for collecting rubbish from the riverbanks. Although, they report being happy with their new homes, the remaining slum dwellers remain skeptical about possible resettlement.

A report by Gönna Ketels