Dr. Pamela Tolentino breaks down her decade-long research on sustainable river management in the Philippines. From river migration and sediment flow to flood risk and dike failure, she shares how new data, geomorphic insights, and nature-based solutions can reshape how we manage our waterways. We also talk about her journey from biology to geology to fluvial geomorphology, and the challenges of publishing, policymaking, and creating a national river database.

⌛Chapters

00:00 Starting the River Conversation

00:38 Podcast and Partners Introduction

03:50 Journey as a Scientist

09:56 PhD and Scholarship Review

15:04 Introduction to the River Project

18:49 Key Points in River Management

31:09 Technologies and Policies in River Management

37:55 Using Communication Technology

38:51 Introduction to Studies and Results

40:34 River Management and Strategies

43:35 Analyzing Historical Data and Flood Estimation

46:30 Studying Different Types of Rivers

49:50 Impact of Structures on River Management

52:43 Building a Community of River Practitioners

55:08 Reviewing Experiences and Challenges

01:00:55 Writing Research and Planning

01:07:22 Next Steps and Community Inclusion

01:10:25 Promoting River Awareness

📚Reference: Tolentino, P. L. M., Williams, R. D. and Brierley, G. J. (2025) Reconfiguring River Management in the Philippines. Project Report. University of Glasgow.

🤝Behind The Science Podcast is presented to you by Marine & Earth Science Learning Hub, UP Resilience Institute, The Philippine Agricultural Scientist, The Philippine Journal of Fisheries, and SciEnggJ.