The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) proposed a nature-based solution featuring a subsurface storage in response to frequent flooding along Roxas Boulevard in the City of Manila.

Although the city has pockets of green spaces, these have a limited capacity in preventing flooding due to elevated from roads.

As a part of the MMDA’s Metro Manila Sponge City Project, the agency proposed that the floodwaters along Roxas Boulevard and nearby service roads be temporarily stored before being released into the existing drainage network.

This nature-based solution aims to reduce localized flooding, regulate water flow towards canals, and form an integrated linear blue-green infrastructure system consisting of bioswales, rain gardens, bioretention areas, permeable surfaces, and appropriate roadside landscaping.

An improved stormwater storage capacity and water flow control will aid in ensuring the safety, accessibility, and climate resiliency of Roxas Boulevard for motorists, cyclists, commuters, pedestrians, and establishments alike, the MMDA said.