Environmental scientists and advocates called for more aggressive climate resiliency interventions from government and the private sector to mitigate economic shocks from worsening extreme weather and natural disasters.
“Climate crisis is still, unfortunately, not a top-of-mind issue for many economies, including ours,” said Dr. Carlos Primo David, ADRi program and Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST) convenor in a recent online forum organized by Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute.
“Our window to address climate change is 30 years or roughly one generation. Not acting on climate change during this period may prove to be devastating for the planet. It is our generation that is starting to occupy the leadership roles of society. It is up to us then to recognize this threat and seriously address the climate crisis,” he added.
Dr. Mahar Lagmay, executive director, Project NOAH, said early warning systems should be data driven and “people-centered” to save more lives and livelihoods.
“We must specify what kind of hazard will hit a community, and we must be able also to specify when that will happen. It must be time bound, using sensors, there’s a technology already available,” he said.
“Take for example the area that was hit during (typhoon) ‘Ompong.’ We have this landslide map that accurately predicted where the landslide would happen. If the people moved just 200 meters away, or maybe 300 meters away – that’s the safest place in that area – then they could have increased their chances of survival,” Lagmay added.
Quirino province Gov. Dakila Cua said the use of advanced Geographical Information System (GIS) can aid decision-making with accurate information in almost all aspects of planning.
“We have readily available risk assessment, hazard, vulnerability, capacity and resource maps that identify immediately the number of males, females, PWD, senior citizen, pregnant, etc. who for example, may be affected by flooding and landslides,” said Cua, who is also the president of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) and national chairperson of the League of Provinces of the Philippines.
“As we chart our way through the challenges toward a sustainable recovery from this pandemic, may we find a deeper resolve and greater determination to seize every opportunity to proactively gear up toward sustainable and environment-friendly practices at least for the sake of our children’s future,” Cua said.
Stratbase ADRi President Prof. Dindo Manhit added: “Initiatives need to put emphasis on advancing the incorporation of circular business and economic models, investments in ‘green’ and sustainable urban designs, and the incorporation of digital technologies into services and infrastructure developments.”
“Philippine communities will constantly remain vulnerable to shocks if immediate mitigation and adaptation of sustainable and best practices are not widely implemented,” Manhit said.
