Flood Hazard Zoning of Tarlac City: Towards the Development of Flood Overlay Zones and Provision

The province of Tarlac in the Philippines is one of the commonly flooded areas due to its geographical characteristics. The province is surrounded by high mountains along its eastern and western outskirts but predominantly the province is a vast flat area.

The present study focuses on the development of flood model for the urban areas of Tarlac City wherein a flood overlay zone is developed based on the flood hazard model. Specifically, the study focuses on attaining the following objectives: to develop a flood inundation model; to determine the hazards on the existing land use as well as determine the susceptibility to flood hazard and determine the risks on the urban barangays; and to look into the implications of land use policies towards risk management.

Historical, analytical and qualitative methods were employed to attain the objectives of the study. Stakeholders in the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) were involved in the formulation of policies and strategies which may lessen the flood hazards as well as the risks towards the urban communities. The outcome of the workshop will be incorporated to the updated comprehensive land use plan (CLUP) of Tarlac City.