Form AP 001

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

Urdaneta City Campus

ACTIVITY PAPER

STUDENT No. RQMNT No.. ACTIVITY TOPIC / TITLE: DATE DUE

Guides on Setting Land Use Zones and Development Regulations

A. No-Build Zones and Expanded Easements

1. Determining No-Build Zones

Areas highly susceptible to hazards where risk is unmanageable or unacceptable

can be designated as Parks and Recreation, but to emphasize the danger and the
restrictions on use, the term No-Build Zone can be used for areas where building is not
allowed.

It is applicable for areas which are relatively undeveloped or severely damaged from
past disasters. For already developed or built up areas, the declaration of Areas for
Priority Action (See Section D) may be explored. The following are the proposed criteria
for declaring No-Build Zones:

• Easements (as required by law or expanded by the LGU Determining Expanded

Easements)

• Designated Floodway or High Susceptibility to Flood (where risk is unmanageable

due to high water level, velocity and potential debris, which can damage structures
severely and make evacuation impossible)

• Projected permanent inundation area for sea level rise and coastal erosion • High
Susceptibility to Storm Surge

• High Susceptibility to Landslides

• High Susceptibility to Lahar • Permanent Danger Zone around volcanoes (as defined
by PHIVOLCS)

• Earthquake Fault easement. This is a set distance from a fault as defined by

PHIVOLCS or the LGU. This can be the minimum 5m distance or increased according
 Form AP 001

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

Urdaneta City Campus

ACTIVITY PAPER

STUDENT No. RQMNT No.. ACTIVITY TOPIC / TITLE: DATE DUE

to the following criteria: s Uncertainty in exact fault location s Development plans (e.g.
planned access roads or parks along the easement) • Areas with severe damage from
previous disasters (e.g.houses completely covered or washed out by flood, landslide, or
debris slides) where protection or disaster mitigation measures are not deemed feasible
within the plan period of the CLUP/ZO.

2. Determining Expanded Easements

An easement is defined as the distance from the highest tide line (for coastal
areas) or edge of the normal high water line/ banks (for rivers and streams), within which
development is not allowed. There are minimum easements prescribed by the Water
Code (3m for urban, 20m for agricultural and 40m for forest areas) but the local
government can declare an expanded easement should risk considerations make it
necessary to protect life and property, based on its mandate to regulate development
within its territory.

a) Easement criteria for rivers based on risk level:

• River Area or Floodway—defined as the area of High Susceptibility to Flood within
which flood risk is unmanageable, due to high water level and velocity (including potential
debris), which can damage structures severely and make evacuation impossible.

Recommended Expanded River Easement

 Form AP 001

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

Urdaneta City Campus

ACTIVITY PAPER

STUDENT No. RQMNT No.. ACTIVITY TOPIC / TITLE: DATE DUE

Aerial photos of Mandulog River in Iligan City after Typhoon Sendong

The photo shows the area which can be declared a floodway (brown area) based
on flooding impact. The floodway shows extensive damage due to water velocity and
debris—with houses completely washed away and vegetation flattened. Areas beyond
the floodway were also flooded but not as extensively damaged.

b) Easement criteria for lakes and coastal areas based on risk level:
• Storm surge and projected permanent inundation areas. This includes the area
projected for future permanent inundation (for combined sea level rise and coastal
erosion) and high risk to storm surge. Historical trends and projections in sea level
rise and coastal erosion in the area must be studied to determine the adequate
easement. As sea level rise is continuous, the development strategy—whether it is
to protect the coast or allow a managed retreat – will affect the easement. If the
coastline is protected adequately, the easement remains the same. In the case of
managed retreat, the concept of a rolling easement can be introduced, where the
easement moves with the high water mark and developments on inundated land are
eventually phased out.
 Form AP 001

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

Urdaneta City Campus

ACTIVITY PAPER

STUDENT No. RQMNT No.. ACTIVITY TOPIC / TITLE: DATE DUE

Recommended Expanded Easement for Coastal Areas Rolling easement

c) Easement criteria for both coastal and river areas based on ecological buffers and
other development considerations:

Ecological buffer area Aside from flood risk, an ecological buffer is also one reason for
expanding an easement. Ecologically significant water courses must be protected or
“buffered” from the impacts of adjacent development or activity. These buffers can provide
the following benefits:

 Continuous corridors and habitat for flora and fauna, thereby improving biodiversity
 Water quality improvement
 Stream bank and erosion protection
 Socio-economic benefits such as public open space and recreation areas, which can
improve views and property values.
 Form AP 001

PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

Urdaneta City Campus

ACTIVITY PAPER

STUDENT No. RQMNT No.. ACTIVITY TOPIC / TITLE: DATE DUE

Horizontal Transect (institutional and administrative jurisdiction) of the Ridge-to-Reef

Integrated Watershed Ecosystems Management Framework.