Proactive  preparedness

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

 Climate change is no longer a concept but a reality.

The Pew Center on Global Climate Change reported an overwhelming body of scientific evidence showing that climate change is happening. Scientists have confirmed that the earth is warming, and that greenhouse gas emissions from cars, power plants and other manmade sources rather than natural variations in climate, are the primary causes.

Scientists predicted the effects of climate change if the greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, when temperatures rise by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, and create irreversible changes to the climate.

Among the consequences of global warming, predicted from basic physics and models, are more water in the atmosphere and more rainfall globally.

As reported by Forbes Magazine, globally, 2011 was the second wettest year over land on record since 1900. The first wettest year was 2010.

Late last year we experienced great loss of lives, property and livelihood washed away by floods caused by tropical storm Sendong and the Magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit some towns and cities in Negros Oriental early this year.

We believe that human activity is largely the cause of climate change and that in the future will see many serious and potentially damaging effects globally.

The government should draw a template on post-disaster needs assessment based on past disaster-related experiences that should be community-based, pro people and equitable approaches.

We hope that the focus would be on disaster management preparedness, instead of disaster response and rehabilitation. The proactive shift will make us better prepared and may decrease the numbers of affected families when another natural calamity occurs.*