Let us build a climate change-ready community designed for tomorrow, a World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) executive said Thursday.
“This is not the first time we had a strong typhoon and this will happen again. We will see more storm surges and rainfall,” said Lory Tan, CEO and Vice President of WWF Philippines.
Tan was referring to Typhoon Yolanda that swept through Eastern Visayas almost three weeks ago, crushing settlements and laying waste to an already poor area.
According to Tan, the government and concerned agencies should not only look on how to design a city or a community but should look beyond aesthetic beauty.
“In building a community, it’s not just a question of aesthetics, it’s about function. The old-school thinking will not work,” Tan said.
Adaptation to climate change, according to Tan, is very important.
“Our communities especially our houses should be built to withstand the effects of climate change. When the storm comes, you closed the door, and when the storm leaves, you’re back to business,” he said.
He said that the rehabilitation in worst-hit Tacloban City would define the Philippines.
He stressed that rehabilitation should move from simple relief operations to rebuilding.
“It’s not just about giving to them and relieving them, but giving them sustainable development,” he said.
In 2004, according to Tan, the WWF Philippines reported that the airport and seaport in Tacloban City are not safe to withstand climate change phenomena and the rapid expansion of subdivisions in the city is unwise, but they were ignored.
He mentioned that they are pushing for building liveable cities outside the metropolis to avoid congestion.
Tan said preparing for a climate change ready communities should encompass not only the Visayas but the whole Philippines as well.
