THERE WAS no storm in Western Visayas yesterday. Just a low pressure area. But it rained very hard. Some area experienced flashfloods.
Extreme weather events, such as heavy and excessive rainfall, are the new norm, which makes flood prevention even more challenging.
For many of our people, every single day of work is synonymous to survival. When heavy rains resulting to flooded and impassable roads prevent a daily wage earner from going to work, it would mean no earnings for the day, no food on the table.
Our country should invest more in infrastructure that are climate-resilient so that disasters, such as floods, are averted and not merely reacted upon.
While it is very important that we immediately address flooding woes in the country, we must ensure that we are building long-term programs. If we are to rebuild the same infrastructure that have been devastated by extreme weather events, then we are only causing more expenses.
What we must do is to invest in strengthening the resilience of infrastructure from disasters, upgrading flood control and road drainage standards, setting up rainwater catchment facilities, desilting rivers, and installing flood monitoring and warning systems, among others.
In recent years we saw the government increase its budget in climate change adaptation programs, but the bulk has been used in flood control to address flooding and rehabilitation of infrastructure and sector support.
We must practice enhanced disaster prevention, mitigation, and preparedness more than mere response. We must prove ourselves more proactive and more effective in reducing risks.
While heavy and excessive rainfall is part of the new normal, we need not live with the risks that disrupt our social and economic activities. We need not have flooded streets, heavy traffic, and stranded commuters in the metropolis or washed away houses, collapsed bridges, displaced families and devastated farmlands for every intense rain or typhoon.
