A Message from Dr. Renan Tanhueco:
In recent years, we are
constantly reminded that weather or geologic related disasters affect anyplace
and anyone. In the country, for example,
floodings in Infanta and Aurora,
Quezon, Luzon Island in 2004, flashfloods in Metro-Manila brought up by
Tropical Storm Ondoy (International: Kaetsana)
in 2009, Typhoon Sendong (International: Washi) devastating Cagayan De
Oro, Mindanao Island in 2011, strong monsoon rains Habagat in Metro Manila in August 2012,
Typhoon Pablo (International: Bopha) had caused landslides and floodings in Davao, Mindanao.
The super-typhoon Yolanda November 2013 (International: Haian) affecting
Visayas Islands, continue to create disruptions even after thousands of people
died, left hundreds of thousands homeless and losses had added in terms of livelihoods and
resources lost. In my mind, if we had focused on addressing these gaps of
collective disaster response (i.e. mitigation and preparedness), we could have avoided
these disasters from happening.
Perhaps, the Gokongwei College of
Engineering can put up a research
and community extension arm cored in the engineering college to help change the
mindset -- that disasters can be avoided.
Perhaps, a research center ( another one?) can reinforce this culture of
advancing knowledge, use and practice of
disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation measures already written
in hundreds and hundreds of publications
of local and international origin. Can these tools, technologies and practices be
useful cases for our country? With our growing
pool of local practice leaders involved in developing unmanned vehicles (automation) , low-budgeted but effective technologies, mobile
communications, systems analysis tools , natural hazards risk assessment , DRR
mainstreaming methods and policy strategies- we may have already come to a point
that we can work on various entry points of the risk management cycle and focus on knowledge generation, development and
testing of tools, instrumentation and
promoting best practices in
preparedness, response, recovery, reconstruction and mitigation. Collectively, GCOE can contribute to the
following aims:
- Building resilience and sustainability of communities, and protection of their built and natural environments.
- Hazard reduction, disaster vulnerability reduction and risk reduction, climate and disaster proofing of infrastructures, mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in development
- Contribute to knowledge, tools and practice in various components of disaster risk management literature such as in preparedness, response, recovery, reconstruction and mitigation.
I am convinced we are more than
ready to put our acts together and that DLSU CESDR sub-center for Disaster Risk
Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (DRR-CCA) can be a starting point for
our collective efforts to contribute, especially in a pro-active and holistic
approach to reduce impact of disasters.
To our first set of members of
the CESDR DRR-CCA group. WELCOME!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment