The Philippines is highly prone to sediment-related disasters because of its geographical location and natural conditions. The country has active volcanoes, mountainous terrain, numerous fault systems and a tropical climate. Disasters are caused by large production of sediments, weak slope resistance against erosion and landslide and large amount of sediment discharge. Moreover, deforestation and watershed activities, improper settlement of people in hazardous areas, insufficient rainfall and water level information and inadequate forecasting and warning system make people at high risk of disasters. The recent sediment-related disasters in Leyte and Quezon provinces which claimed many lives emphasized the need for intensified hazard mapping and awareness campaigns. Risk management is an emerging paradigm in disaster management, and the government has resorted to combine this concept with structural measures to mitigate disasters. The Laoag River Basin Project provided sabo dams and dikes to contain excessive sediment and overflow, respectively. Likewise, watershed management programs were pursued. Road slope disasters along national highways causing road closures are now a concern for risk management planning and mitigation. Data on collapses and road closures are being collected for prioritization and planning of counter measures. The various agencies comprising the disaster coordinating councils, despite budget constraints, are intensifying their efforts. This paper describes current sediment problems, the aggravating factors and the various approaches being adopted. The constraints and strengthening needs of disaster management agencies in hazard identification and mapping, vulnerability assessment, collapse prediction and risk management, as well as recommendations are discussed.
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