Choose leaders who push for disaster risk reduction management
CHOOSE a leader who puts Disaster Risk Reduction Management on top of his or her list.
San Francisco, Camotes Mayor Al Arquillano gave this advice to voters in the upcoming election especially since climate change had become a hot topic these days.
Arquillano asked if leaders wouldn’t put disaster reduction management on their list then how could we sustain development without mitigation?
Arquillano was referring to leaders who could address the problems brought about by the effects of climate change such as flooding and even heat stroke.
“Endemic trees should be planted to bring the natural flow of the ecosystem,” Arquillano said during yesterday’s 888 news forum at Marco Polo Plaza in Cebu City.
He also cited Barcelona, the second largest city of Spain, as an example of a local government unit, who was able to address the flooding problems in the area.
“Barcelona has 13 water impounding systems or water catchment system in which each of them holds 500,000 cubic meters,” he said.
Arquillano was the vice mayor of San Francisco when he won the the United Nations (UN) Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction in 2011 for its community empowerment program, where the poor residents in San Francisco were encouraged to help the local government in its risk disaster management program./Correspondent Tweeny M. Malinao
