On Episode 75 of the Behind the Science Podcast series, the show was graced by Civil Engineer Isaac Besarra. He warmly shared his academic journey, professional experiences, and the inspirations behind his post-graduate research in Humanitarian Engineering.
The episode delved deeper into Engr. Besarra’s recently published paper on the “The Cost of Flooding on Housing Under Climate Change in the Philippines: Examining Projected Damage at the Local Scale”. In collaboration with researchers from the University of Sydney, Syiah Kuala University in Indonesia, and the UP Resilience Institute, he led the flood risk modelling and vulnerability assessment of the surveyed households in the Municipality of Carigara, Province of Leyte. This study examined how much damage floods could cause to the surveyed households in the said project site over a period of time and under different climate change scenarios.
Using his expertise in Civil Engineering and incorporating current research limitations, Engr. Besarra focused on the assessment of the physical vulnerability of the residential areas. They studied different types of household structures: concrete, light-material, and elevated; and assessed how they might withstand floods in the coming decades. He credited UP Resilience Institute experts for developing flood models using Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 4.5 and 8.5), which model possible future greenhouse gas levels and can be helpful in mapping rainfall-driven flooding for the near, mid, and late century to come.
Engr. Besarra’s takeaways from their study were targeted for decision-makers and disaster responders. Their findings indicate that relying solely on historical flood accounts is insufficient for today’s planning, as risk is also determined by local topography, changing rainfall patterns, and community housing structures. Moreover, he emphasized the need for localized, future-oriented data to improve disaster preparedness and ensure resources like the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, are spent wisely to safeguard communities.
His early work in Bohol, where he saw firsthand how disasters affect vulnerable communities, continues to inspire his mission: turning climate science into practical solutions people can use. At its heart, the focal research in the podcast episode reflects Engr. Besarra’s belief that science must be practical, people-centered, and empowering by including local communities and ensuring that findings are translated into real actions that make people’s lives better and more resilient than ever.
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Research Spotlight:
Besarra, I., Opdyke, A., Mendoza, J.E., Delmendo, P.A., Santiago, J., Evangelista, D.J., Lagmay, A.M.F.A., 2025. The Cost of Flooding on Housing Under Climate Change in the Philippines: Examining Projected Damage at the Local Scale. Journal of Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124966
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