Philippines is an archipelago of 7107
islands with 98 million inhabitants. Since independence; its population has
increased 7 fold, making it the 12th most populated nation of the world. It is
recently in news because it became the playground of one of the most powerful
cyclone, Haiyan (category 4). But; was it only the speed of the cyclone which
literally erased towns and cities? History is replete with facts that
Philippines have been devastated by cyclones regularly. In fact, this is the
4th cyclone it faced in 2013. And; if we add the earthquake in Visayas region
(the same region where Haiyan played havoc), then in 203 alone it faced 5
disasters! Haiyan has rendered any immediate relief measures futile. So, what
led to, or aggravated to the situation?
Topographically, the Philippines is broken
up by the sea, which gives it one of the longest coastlines of any nation in
the world. Situated on the western fringes of the Pacific Ring of Fire, it
experiences regular quakes and seismic activity. An important point here is
that it sits astride the Typhoon belt, and consequently suffers an annual
onslaught of dangerous storms from July through December. Since Philippines is
an archipelago and does not have a vast stretch of continuous land, there is
little which can be done to abate the cyclones' intensity. The country has vast
coral reefs, and mangrove covers demarcating the coastline. But; due to recent
urbanization, pollution and mining activities the natural vegetation is
drastically declining. Mountain ranges once covered with sprawling forest
covers are now visibly bald.
A good majority of the locals reside in the
coastal areas and the population distribution is uneven, owing to the
mountainous landscape of some islands (like Luzon). The country's birth rate
has been significantly higher than the world average, and the highest in Asia.
Due to the population and urbanization, the coastal cities and towns extend
beyond its limits. It is given that Philippines has given itself adequate
infrastructure in order to protect civilian lives and minimize the damage. The
measures include sea walls, cyclone shelters, and information & warning
systems. Sometimes, such measures aren't good enough.
Today, we have excellent forecasting
systems, by virtue of which we can detect cyclone formation days in advance.
Philippines is also equipped with warning systems. The gap arises in
evacuation. It so happens that when cyclones (like Haiyan) are forecasted to
tread through the archipelago, it becomes difficult to evacuate the inhabitants
to safe havens. The nation should invest intelligently in bringing strong and
durable cyclone shelters and embankments. In such situations, education plays a
pivotal role. Arrangements should be made to make sure that the inhabitants are
educated to help themselves (and others) in times of crisis. They should be
trained to manage disastrous situations like flash floods, fire, landslides
among others. They should be given guidelines on the kinds of food items to
procure to help them sustain for longer periods of time.
National Disaster Coordination Council
(NDCC), the apex body of the disaster mitigation in Philippines should be
prepared with contingency and crisis plans and should conduct regular drills to
gauge the level of preparedness. Disaster mitigation measures also include
effective rehabilitation of the victims. This forms a difficult task, because
of the trauma faced by the inhabitants. Measures should be taken to ensure that
the connectivity and electricity is restored at the earliest possible time.
This will ensure that the search & rescue operations are carried out at a
faster pace and will result in expedition of the relief measures. After all, we
are deliberating about the typhoon mat of Asia!
V.k. Dadhich
Bibliography:
You've done your research. how far do you think the internet connectivity and mobiles will help solve the problems of reuniting the stranded families?
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