Philippines: Mayors urged to initiate measures on climate change, disaster risk reduction

Davao City - Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on climate change, urged municipal mayors to take the lead in implementing measures addressing climate change and disaster risk reduction.

As keynote speaker on Tuesday at the League of Municipalities convention held at Grand Regal Hotel, she underscored several policies already available which local government units can adapt to start the effort to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Legarda said climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction policies can be best implemented on the communities through the initiatives of mayors. She underscored the importance of the solid waste management program under Republic Act 9003 which all municipalities can adopt to avert the impact of greenhouse effect to the ozone layer.

“Every one of you in your respective communities is integral and important to make your own action plan dependent on the vulnerability of your respective areas,” she said.

Legarda said every local chief executive understands the terrain, hazards and vulnerability of their municipality which will serve as guide in disaster-preparedness by coming up with projects that can cope with environmental hazards that come to the country like typhoons which often lead to floods and landslides.

She underscored the study which showed that countries in Asia-Pacific are more likely to feel the impact of natural disasters brought about by climate change than other parts of the world.

“We must be prepared by proactively coming up with plan of action,” Legarda said.

She said local government units (LGUs) must look at climate change adaptation projects as investments and not costs. She said China invested one billion dollars on its flood control project three decades ago and recently averted a total damage cost of three billion dollars due to floods.

Legarda rationalized that the Senate has been very meticulous on proposed projects like school-buildings and other infrastructure projects by the cabinet departments by looking closely on the structural integrity and durability.

“All these vulnerability, making of geohazard map must be considered to ensure the safety of the residents,” she said. (PNA)
LAP/Joey Sem G. Dalumpines/ldp