Zamboanga Levee

Proposal for a Levee System and River Revitalization in Zamboanga City

Executive Summary:

Zamboanga City confronts ongoing challenges related to flooding and traffic congestion, which significantly impact its residents and overall urban development. This proposal advocates for a levee system alongside the Tumaga River. This initiative will not only address the aforementioned challenges but will also rejuvenate the river environment and enhance the city’s overall aesthetic appeal and tourism potential. This levee will start in Pasonanca and ends in Tugbungan.

Objectives:

1. Protect Zamboanga City from the devastation of frequent flooding.
2. Minimize traffic congestion by building levees that double as roadways, complemented by supplementary bridges that seamlessly link communities across the river.
3. Enhance the Tumaga river’s environmental state, promoting its use for recreation.
4. Enhance the city’s tourism allure by transforming the levee into a dual-purpose infrastructure: a roadway for vehicles and a scenic RiverWalk attraction.
5. Introduce a river gutter system to mitigate pollution and rejuvenate the river to its original pristine state. Sewage from adjacent barangays will be prevented from flowing into the river. Instead, the gutter alongside the river will channel contaminants either to the sea or to a newly built lagoon designed for filtration.

Benefits:

1. Flood Protection: Proactively safeguard lives and property from the repercussions of recurrent floods.
2. Traffic Management: Strategically streamline traffic, optimize accessibility, and drastically reduce travel time for residents. By incorporating additional bridges at pivotal locations, the time required to traverse the Tumaga River could be slashed significantly, potentially reducing the crossing interval to a mere 5-10 minutes. This is in stark contrast to the current prolonged durations caused by detours and congestion. Such direct access would provide a faster, more efficient conduit for daily commuters and commercial traffic.
3. Societal Upliftment: Address the persistent issue of riverbank squatter homes, offering a pathway to more resilient and sustainable housing solutions.
4. Tourism Enhancement: Foster tourism through infrastructural advancement and a more pristine river environment.
5. Ecosystem Restoration: The innovative river gutter system is poised to collect drainage from the neighboring riverbank barangays. This design not only minimizes pollution but also champions a more vibrant river ecosystem, benefiting local biodiversity. The ambition is to rejuvenate the river to its once pristine state.

Project Components:

1. Construction of a Levee: Initiate the levee from Pasonanca, serving as a dual-purpose roadway flanking both sides of the Tumaga River banks, and spanning an estimated 7 kilometers.
2. Bridge Construction: Facilitate easier accessibility by inaugurating a minimum of six new bridges at strategic junctures, enhancing inter-connectivity and easing transit.
3. River Gutter System: Introduce an advanced drainage system to manage waste from riverbank barangays, ultimately preserving the river’s integrity and health.
4. RiverWalk Attraction: Convert the levee into a premier tourist and local attraction, reminiscent of globally acclaimed RiverWalks, thereby acting as a hub for recreation and commerce.

The recurring challenges faced by Zamboanga City necessitate an innovative, sustainable, and multifaceted solution. Through the proposed levee system, complemented by additional infrastructure, the city has the potential to not only shield its future against the adverse impacts of natural events but also unlock avenues of economic and societal progress. We passionately appeal to the city council and its distinguished members to accord this proposal the consideration it merits, for the holistic welfare and advancement of Zamboanga City and its invaluable residents.