The recent typhoons (Ondoy and Pepeng) that ravaged the country should serve a stern warning for local government units to take environmental concerns seriously. Although the destruction of the environment has already assumed an "irreversible" level according to experts, LGUs can still do great things to mitigate the harsh impact of natural disasters.
Environmental programs should take a prominent place in LGUs' development programs. From now on,(for starter LGUs) they should begin by assessing the present condition of their waste management, their water bodies, forest lands, coastal waters, etc. Repair of river banks and unclogging of creeks and drainage systems should be addressed as a short term solution. Rehabilitation of forest and coastal areas, watershed areas and other water ways should be done as part of long term solution programs.
To do this, LGUs can tap the expertise and resources of civil society organizations in their localities. Churches and schools are excellent sources of volunteers in cleaning waterways and tree planting activities. Business groups can provide material, financial and human support. There is no other ripest time to initiate a multi-sectoral environmental work than today, I think.
Flooding, landslides, prolonged droughts, tsunamis and the like are likely to be experienced in frequent and usual manner according to experts. So environmental work should be the top concern of LGUs.
The worst disaster that we can make now is to neglect the challenge of environmental rehabilitation and management in our respective localities.
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