EDITORIAL

Protecting northern Luzon forests from fires with summer just around the corner

The expected occurrence of forest fires during the dry season is once again a threat to forests and watersheds in northern Luzon.

Barangay officials and community leaders play a vital role in preventing damage on the environment caused by forest fires. Destruction of newly-planted and growing trees in numerous plantation sites like forests in the region would derail environment programs.

Growing trees would be burned in a few hours with a stroke of a match or the throwing of cigarette butts in grassy portions of mountains. As pointed out by environmentalists, constituents must have a sense of responsibility in preserving and protecting the environment because it is the trees that give life to our surroundings.

Concerned government agencies could pool their resources in coming up with a dedicated effort to inculcate among the people the importance of protecting the remaining forests and expanding them for future generations.

The government could provide more funds and start effective programs to protect the environment from further degradation. Community participation is also needed to sustain implementation of a holistic environmental preservation and protection program. There is dire need to pursue such effort because of the alarming state of northern Luzon’s forests and watersheds that might result to more serious problems in the future.

Foreign and local researchers warned that a disaster is expected to happen within the denuded forests of the region in the next five to ten years if unabated cutting of trees which hold the top soil continue at a fast pace.

As pointed out by environmentalists, numerous trees are being cut without being replaced to pave the way for slash and burn farming in mountain slopes which is also hazardous to safety of people in the community.

Massive soil erosion and lack of water are warnings of the occurrence of worst case scenarios in the future if the people will not act to preserve and protect forests and spare young trees from devastation due to carelessness.

While the younger generation is being taught the basics of environmental protection, the national government could provide necessary resources to ensure successful implementation of a sustained ecological preservation program that will see future generations benefit from the fruits of the efforts of the present generation.