Flood damage assessment in the Pampanga river basin of the Philippines

In this study, a flood damage assessment method was proposed for the assessment of flood risk in data-poor river basins by using a physical-based numerical model, satellite-based information and socio-economic factors. The Pampanga river basin of the Philippines was selected for the case study. For the flood damage assessment, hazard characteristics, such as flood depth and duration, were computed using the rainfall runoff inundation model. Agriculture and households, which are major exposures in flood-prone areas, were taken into account for the flood damage assessment. The potential damage to agriculture was estimated by using the damage functions of agriculture and flood characteristics. The damage functions of agriculture for each growing stage were defined as the function of flood depth and duration. Field investigations and questionnaire surveys were conducted at the selected barangays (villages) in the Pampanga river basin to develop a methodology for household damage estimation. The damage estimation approach for damage to household buildings including assets, was developed based on the flood and household characteristics. The potential damage to house building and assets was estimated. The estimated damage of agriculture and households was compared with the reported values.