From Biblical narratives in the Book of Genesis to recent intra-disciplinary studies, floods and flooding captivate attention because of the scale and magnitude of their occurrences and impacts on human lives. Of equal significance is in the dispelling of myths surrounding their origins.
Various flood studies in the Philippines had been undertaken. Historians like Greg Bankoff (2003) contended that it is in the interplay of environment and society that created conditions of possibility for the advent of riskscapes. Meanwhile an interdisciplinary team of scholars argued that to fully study the implications of geophysical hazards to societal life such as education, the recognition and consideration of small-scale disaster and floods should likewise be taken up (cf: Cadag, Petal, Luna, Gaillard, Pambid & Santos, 2017).
In a latest study on flooding in the Philippines, certain discourses used by state actors seek to depoliticize natural disasters by blaming them on climate change.
Join us for our second Heo/Geo Lecture Series this year as we present Ria Jhoanna Ducusin's research findings on flooding based on a seven-month period of ethnographic fieldwork in Bacoor City, Cavite. The talk which is jointly sponsored by the UP Department of Geography and the Philippine Geographical Society is on Friday, 23 February 2024 at 5:30PM via Zoom. Her talk entitled Political Ecology of Flooding in Coastal Cities in the Philippines is focused on coastal environments that are at the greatest risk of the impacts of flooding.
By asserting that flood disasters are inevitable due to the country’s geographical location, the government reduces its obligations and conceals the socioeconomic processes that leave vulnerable populations at risk. This misplaced understanding of flooding in the Philippines is what this research examines. Over a seven-month period of ethnographic fieldwork in Bacoor City, Cavite, the study delves into the intricate interplay of ecological conditions and socio-political factors shaping flooding. Preliminary findings challenge the prevailing narrative, shedding light on the dual role of capitalist transformation in both exacerbating and mitigating flood risks. Furthermore, interviews reveal that flood control infrastructure is perceived as a solution to effectively manage and address persistent flooding. Finally, the research emphasizes the normalization of living with floods as an integral aspect of urban residents’ lives, shaped by the intersectionality of various social identities.
Ria Jhoanna Ducusin is a PhD Candidate at the Geography program at York University. She also serves as a Graduate Associate at the York Centre for Asian Research (YCAR) and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Department of Geography at the University of the Philippines Diliman. Her research interests lie at the nexus of political ecology and critical disaster studies. Before joining York University, she taught at Cavite State University, as well as a researcher at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). Ria holds a MSc in Environmental Science and BSc in Human Ecology from UPLB.
To join the lecture, please click this link to register. Or you can just click the following link to your browser: http://tinyurl.com/ytudhbmr
The Heo/Geo Lecture Series is a space that endeavors to bring together scholars, practitioners and civil society to present research and advocacy work within a larger geographical context and understanding. The Lecture Series is a continuation of the UP Department of Geography's 40th anniversary (1983-2023) as it ushers newer approaches, methodologies and discourses within the purview of a broadly-conceptualised discipline of geography.
This lecture is made possible through the Environment and Development Geographies (EDGE) research cluster of the UP Department of Geography. The lecture touches on SDG #13 (Climate Action) and #15 (Life on Land) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
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