'Preventive city' against the disaster in the Philippines

Despite being a disaster-prone area, New Clark City is expected to stand firm in all cases, while aiming at a green city model.

The Philippines has started a project to build a "backup" city , where government offices can still operate in the case of Manila, which cannot withstand natural disasters like earthquakes, CNN reported. July 23.

The proposed urban area is located 100 km north of Manila, called New Clark City . With an estimated area of ​​9,450 hectares, the city will be bigger than Manhattan in New York, USA, and can accommodate up to 1.2 million people.

New Clark City's name refers to its location in the Clark Free Economic Zone, formerly a military zone of US and Philippine forces.

New Clark City sketches.(Photo: CNN).

Natural disaster

Location is New Clark City's greatest strength in disaster management . The city is much higher than Manila, so it is less flooded, according to Vivencio Dizon, chairman of the government-led Agency Development and Transformation Agency (BCDA).

The city will also continue to deploy large-scale drainage systems and "non-construction areas" to minimize flood risks. In addition, surrounding the city is a mountain range, which helps protect against storms.

While Manila is susceptible to earthquakes due to its location on the major fault of the Earth, experts confirm that New Clark City is not located near any fault lines.

However, Kelvin Rodolfo, professor of Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Illinois, USA, warned that all the Philippines are at risk of earthquakes. " The assumption that only near-fault areas are at risk of serious misconceptions , " he said.

The fact that New Clark City is less than 40 km away from Pinatubo volcano can be a cause for concern. Pinatubo is famous for the catastrophic eruption in 1991, the second largest volcanic eruption in the 20th century. However, experts predict there will be no major eruptions in the next hundred years.

Location of New Clark City, Manila capital and Pinatubo volcano.(Graphics: CNN).

Green City

In addition to being able to withstand storms, floods and earthquakes, natural disasters that the nation lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire cannot avoid, New Clark City also aims to become a green city.

Dizon said one of the most important things to do is reduce traffic pollution. Many large areas are designed for pedestrians, and a walk across the river will run through the city. Public transport plans will also be implemented to reduce the number of vehicles.

"We built this city for people, not for cars. It's a big difference , " Dizon explained. He said the public works will use green energy sources such as solar energy, liquefied natural gas and energy from garbage. Buildings are designed to consume less energy. Planners also want to preserve the natural landscape of the area, keep the river and avoid cutting many trees.

Large areas of New Clark City are designed for pedestrians.(Photo: CNN).

The main material that makes up New Clark City's infrastructure is rock slurry , a locally sourced construction material, that makes buildings more solid. The sludge flow is born after volcanic eruptions, when rocky soil on the mountainside is combined with rainwater. This material includes stones, debris and ash, appearing in many areas around the Pinatubo volcano.

Dizon said the slurry will be mixed with concrete to build all buildings in the city. Dutch architect Matthijs Bouw, who was asked to look at the first planning version of the city, said that concrete production could cost a lot of energy and water, while generating lots of polluting emissions. infection.

However, he notes that using mud and rock instead of a part of concrete is not synonymous with reducing the impact on the environment. New Clark City's green city plan will take time to assess "significantly different and much lower" levels of pollution than other Asian cities.

The government and donors will spend nearly $ 2 billion in the first construction phase, Dizon said, adding that there will be at least 5 stages. Construction began with a sports complex, government buildings and housing for state employees, scheduled to be inaugurated at the Southeast Asian Games held in the Philippines in December. 2019.

The first phase is expected to be completed in 2022, but it will take at least 30 years to complete the entire city. Although this is a huge project, Dizon believes that New Clark City's ambition is not too big.