An answer to climate change
>> Tuesday, August 14, 2012
EDITORIAL
The floodings in the National Capital Region and nearby provinces,
caused, not by any storm, but by days of incessant rains left
everyone stunned.
“It’s climate change, a creeping disaster, we cannot do anything
about it,” we hear those in the know say.
But Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” R. Tañada III sees that
something can still be done. In fact, he puts forward some hope for
climate change adaptation and resiliency of communities, with the eventual
enactment into law of his authored bill, House Bill 6235, with its counterpart,
Senate Bill 2811 sponsored by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
Called the People’s Survival Fund (PSF), the bill has already gone
through the legislative wringer, having passed both Houses of Congress and the
Bicam Report, likewise passed by both Chambers. It is now
transmitted in Malacanang for the President’s action.
“Climate change adaptive cities are very important especially for
vulnerable countries like the Philippines. Likewise, marginalized
farmers and fisherfolks must be able to adapt to prolonged droughts, incessant
rains that submerge farms fin floodwaters for weeks, and rising sea levels and
temperature,” Tanada said.
Quoting from the website of the Institute for Climate and
Sustainable Cities, a key partner in pushing the measure in the legislature,
“(T)he PSF Bill seeks to buff-up Republic Act No.9729 or the Climate Change Act
of 2009 by “financially empowering” the Climate Change Commission in financing
“local” climate change adaptation and mitigation projects.
Establishing PSF will push for the realization of the pressing
need to localize and integrate identified national strategies and frameworks on
climate talks to communities in addressing the adverse effects of climate
change.”
According to the Quezon legislator, apart from the P1 billion fund
that is replenishable yearly, what is key in this measure is it creates
incentives for local communities to directly access funds that will finance
climate change adaptive projects, devoid of the politicized trickle-down
mechanism that has long plagued funding systems.
Further, he adds, it forces leaders to grapple with long-term
plans such as a urban planning and land use, rather than
quick-gestation, high impact projects that just fits into a
three-year term, good enough for re-election.
People's organizations and civil society groups may have hope should this bill become law. Rather
than shout to the heavens for non-action of those in government, they can now
take action themselves, proposing small but relevant projects like small water
impoundment, use of seeds that are drought or flood resistant, establishing
early warning systems, having climate change insurance.
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