THESE were the scenes in Talisay, Silay, Victorias, and Sagay cities in Negros Occidental on Friday and Saturday last week: evacuations, stranded commuters, people wading in flood waters, stalled vehicles, highways and streets inundated by flood waters, bancas becoming the mode of transportation.
Actually, this has become a usual scenario in other parts of the country, too, as the new normal weather events bring voluminous rains, causing floods of various levels.
The torrential rains and the resulting floods not only affect the poor people and the working middle class; it also affects businesses, schools, government offices, trade industry and stock market; it affects the farmers whose crops are washed away by floods; and fisherfolks who would not be able to scour the seas for a bountiful catch due to the harsh weather.
With climate change in our midst, more frequent typhoons are the new norm. What should we do?
Building on good risk reduction practicesmeans going back to the very basics: protecting our ecosystems and natural buffers such as forests to mitigate floods.
We will never get tired of calling for the implementation of laws and programs that will help ease flooding in the country. Plant trees. Stop deforestation. Also, local government units (LGUs) should comply with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (Republic Act 9003) and also start clearing waterways in their areas, most especially in the cities. Undertake massive cleanup of esteros and canals; relocate settlers by the rivers; dredge rivers and other waterways and heavily penalize those who throw waste in rivers and lakes; and enforce an absolute “no tree cutting” policy.
We need to invest in building more resilient communities and infrastructure. Higher standards for flood control and drainage systems should be enforced. Rainwater catchment facilities and flood monitoring and warning systems need to be installed.
Disaster risk reduction is everybody’s business, and LGUs should lead this effort. We have incessantly urged and reminded our LGUs and our citizens to work on preventing and mitigating disasters, such as floods, and not merely respond to their onslaught. We must learn from our experiences, practice enhanced disaster preparedness and response, and be proactive in reducing the risk of disasters.
