What to consider in developing seaside settlements

Architects, engineers and planners should take scientific data and practical information on water-related natural phenomena (tides, wave action, typhoons, storm surges, tsunamis) into consideration when developing settlement areas, according to Dr. Laura David, Deputy Director for Instruction of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute. She emphasizes that the Philippines is an island country where land is not limitless and 67 percent of Filipinos live close to the seas and ocean, and that consequently, these have implications on how we develop our built environment. Dr. David presents the following practical guidelines for designers, planners and developers:

• Tides are actually related to earth’s distance from the sun and moon. This means that when doing site assessment, the best time to visit a site is during a full moon in the period between the late December to early January because the tides are at its highest level.(January is the month when the sun is closest to the earth.) One can see the effects of tide especially in coastal areas at full moon.
• Wave action creates areas of embayment and protrusion in coastal land forms. It is considered better to locate a building site at the area of protrusion since embayment areas are constantly eroded by wave action.

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