Loren leads signing of commitment against ‘Deadly Trio’

Senator Loren Legarda conducted an on-site public hearing on the disaster wrought by typhoon Ondoy and launched the 2009 Global Assessment Report (GAR) on Disaster Risk Reduction prepared by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) where it cited three primary reasons that heighten disaster risks from natural calamities, which, in turn, cause poverty in the Philippines to worsen.

The 2009 GAR identified the factors that heighten disasters as poor urban governance, ecosystems decline and the vulnerability of the sources of livelihoods in rural areas.

"The deadly trio of haphazard urban development, ecosystems decline and unstable rural livelihood – individually and in combination – drives disaster risk and provokes catastrophe, especially in poor communities,” said Loren.

Loren’s committee has been holding public hearings at the Senate on the devastations caused by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. She presided over the on-site public hearing in Marikina at Barangay Nangka along the banks of the Marikina River that was the scene of devastation at the height of Typhoon Ondoy. Some of the victims in the area served as resource persons who shared their experiences during the ordeal. The GAR launch was capped by a signing ceremony where participants pledged their commitment themed "Bagong tugon sa hamon ng panahon” to improve urban governance, enhance rural livelihoods and protect ecosystems.

Last week, Loren also led an inspection of Laguna de Bay and neighboring areas, including Lupang Arenda in Taytay, Rizal, which came under water when the bay overflowed.

Comparing the disaster risk management in Japan, where approximately 22.5 million people are exposed annually to typhoons, Loren said that the estimated annual death toll in the Philippines is almost 17 times greater than that of Japan because of our lack of disaster management systems in the form of early warning systems, awareness and preparation.

She added that poor rural livelihoods, dependent on rain-fed agriculture and on a single main harvest for annual food and income, are highly vulnerable to weather fluctuations and hazards, which can lead to crop or livestock loss. Poor and indebted households have little or no surplus capacity to absorb these losses and to recover from extreme weather events.

“Climate change and disaster risks have become one of the greatest challenges to human development the world faces today. About 70 to 80 per cent of disasters have been climate-related,” she said.

Loren stressed that disaster risks will only be reduced if government successfully addresses the three underlying drivers of risk: poor urban governance ecosystem decline, and vulnerable rural livelihoods.

If these drivers are not addressed, climate change will lead to dramatic increases in disaster risk and associated poverty outcomes in developing countries, she said.

“Dealing with climate change and disaster risks decisively is the key to reducing poverty,” she said.

The hearings being conducted by Loren’s committee seeks to identify the gaps in planning, preparation and response to the major devastations wrought by Ondoy in Metro Manila, as well as to set directions for effective disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.