In June 2026, FutureWater took part in a Dutch Disaster Risk Reduction and Surge Support (DRRS) deployment to the Province of Negros Occidental in the Philippines, working hands-on with the provincial GIS team to strengthen the data behind a province-wide flood risk assessment.

Negros Occidental is regularly hit by flooding along its river basins, and recent (super) typhoons such as Tino caused widespread damage to communities, roads and farmland. The provincial government wants to move from reactive response toward planning and prevention, which calls for a clear, shared picture of where floods happen, what is exposed and who is most vulnerable. During an intensive week on the ground, FutureWater joined a multidisciplinary DRRS team to help build exactly that.

The work was organized around the three components of flood risk. On exposure, the team updated the provincial building footprints and added commercial, industrial and energy sites, together with critical infrastructure such as roads and bridges. On hazard, it started the flood hazard analysis, quality-checked the available flood layers and validated them during a field trip to affected areas. On vulnerability, it processed Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) census data and linked it to the building footprints. Running through the whole week was hands-on training in remote sensing and Google Earth Engine, along with good practice for data handling and quality control.

Beyond the datasets, the deployment produced a layer-by-layer assessment of the province’s geodata and a practical roadmap toward a province-wide, impact-based flood risk assessment. FutureWater and the team also shared recommendations for the province and its local government units, including a shared geo-server for collaboration, joint validation and co-ownership of data, and continued investment in technical capacity. With a better-equipped GIS team and a clearer picture of its flood risk, Negros Occidental is better placed to protect its inhabitants against future floods.

The deployment was carried out under the Dutch Disaster Risk Reduction and Surge Support (DRRS) program, in close cooperation with the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental (PGNO).