ZEMCH 2015 - International Conference Proceedings | Page 141

6. Potential Sustainable Solutions
Suggested solutions are categorized into two main parts; (1) protecting and preventing highest
risks of natural disasters of individuals or small groups (families), and (2) usage of natural resources as a source of generating income. Details are presented in Figure 3 below.

Figure 3: Potential sustainable solutions
Philippines’ poor economic status, low employment, limited educational opportunities, high
population and construction condensation, presents high poverty in population that most residents are barely able to pay their electricity bills and/or send their children to schools, buy cars
for transportation, or own homes with basic comfort standards. The Philippines’ society lives in
ignorance that challenges the country is facing, a lot of development and safety assurance need
to be obtained. Thus, simple guides must be delivered to the society to highlight the importance
of safety and to reduce the risk of deaths in poor areas.
Preventing natural disasters can be implemented in various techniques; in rainy seasons, studying to prevent the floods (flood protect system), such as creating dams, river dikes, landscaping,
rise homes ground levels, underground water tunnels, and other building design suggestions. In
contrast, during dry seasons, using underground water tunnels for car transportation to reduce
the traffic, and using stored water when country suffers from water shortages during dry seasons.
Moreover, the usage of natural resources to enhance better sustainable living, e.g. electricity from
water by hydro-electric power, which gives free sustainable technique in generating electricity,
selling electricity, increasing economic growth, and allowing employment. The methods and systems used are influenced and studied by other countries that initially started these strategies,
such as the Netherlands (most densely populated on earth) that used several flood controls for
hundreds of years starting from basic manual systems to technologically highly-developed solutions. In addition, Malaysia, which started the first underground flood system tunnels and bypass,
and other countries like Japan and Pakistan.
6.1 Hydro-electric Power (HEP)
HEP is a technique for generating electricity or watts from water, which can play a key role in
funding of power projects (Kim and Urpelainen 2012). This study suggests an examination on using HEP on a group of houses; an average of six, low to medium shelters at standard levels, then
determining the amount of power generated and if the amount can be used as a permanent
generator. Also, finding solution in presence of flood (high current water) or in absence of flood
(low current water).

Sustainable solutions for the Philippines built environment due to natural disasters

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