The objective of this research was to examine the effects of urban flooding on land use patterns and policies, as well as the effects of land use on urban flooding in Malabon City from 1980 to 2012. Through trend analysis, land use changes were examined in relation to the risk and actual occurrence of floods and vice versa. The results are supported by a policy review and a series of semi-structured key informant interviews involving barangay officials. The findings show that urban flooding is a major driver of land use change in Malabon, evidenced by the land use pattern for the least flooded areas being directed towards industrial and commercial development.
Land use also exacerbate flooding incidence, specifically in fishpond areas, which have the tendency to overflow and inundate larger portions of land. The difference between the existing and proposed land use plans was not only attributed to the frequency of flooding but also to the lack of supporting policies that would ensure the transition from one land use type to another. Policies and flood management interventions were also centered on structural approaches, leading to more rigid approaches and tools. There is also variable and limited appreciation on the role of land use in flood management at the level of the barangay. The policy review also showed that aside from structural interventions such as the construction of pumping stations and dikes, Malabon also crafted DRRM policies, which is in contrast with the paucity in policies that monitor and regulate land use and land use change. It was apparent that there is a need to institute a balance of promotive and protective approaches to land use planning. Promotive approaches are anchored on utilizing land to foster development while protective strategic accounts for the importance of utilizing land to protect the people from the detrimental effects of natural disasters.