Impacts of Disasters in Batuan, Bohol: A Cursory Study

by Alan S. Cajes

A view of Batuan, Bohol, Philippines from the Santo Nino Shrine

When I arrived in the town of Batuan, Bohol around two o’clock in the afternoon of December 29, 2014, heavy rains and strong winds have started to descend on a people whose last major encounter with flashflood and typhoon was in 1984. Batuan is my home town. Since three years ago, I make it a point to come home every Christmas break to feel at home. Each time I am in town, the rain would come almost every day.

But the rain on the day of my arrival was different. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) issued a weather bulletin around eleven in the morning placing the rainfall from 7.5 millimeters (moderate) to 15 millimeters per hour (heavy) within the 300-kilometer diameter of a tropical depression[1]. This means that a heavy rainfall in the next ten hours is higher than the 100 millimeters average monthly rainfall in Bohol[2]. It is like saying that more than a month’s rainfall could happen in just ten hours.

Shiphaus in Batuan

It did happen that night. Thus, PAGASA issued a warning informing residents in lowland and upland areas that they are vulnerable to flashfloods and landslides, and that ocean waves could be as high as four meters. So when my young friends from the Association of Young Boholanos in Metro Manila (AYBM) sent me a text message saying that they were going to Barangay Behind the Clouds in Batuan to give relief goods to earthquake victims, I checked with them if they would push through with the activity given the prevailing weather condition. Besides, I had to make sure that whatever snacks we could prepare for them at the Shiphaus[3] in Batuan would not be wasted. The AYBM assistance was completed as planned. We played host to the volunteers while Seniang made a landfall somewhere in Bohol.

Rice fields that Seniang destroyed. These rice fields
are favorite sites of  some migratory birds.

By the time I went home around six o’clock in the evening, PAGASA had already upgraded Seniang from a tropical depression to a tropical storm[4]. Seniang’s maximum sustained winds is 65 kilometers per hour near the center. Her gustiness is up to 80 kilometers per hour. Around that time, Seniang’s center was located about 140 kilometers East Southeast of Tagbilaran City. PAGASA placed nine provinces, including Bohol, under typhoon signal number two with winds of up to 100 kilometers per hour in the next twenty-four hours[5]. After dinner, I asked my mother and brother to stay at the Shiphaus. I decided to stay at home to check on the house during the typhoon.

Landslide near Makapiko River.
Foto below shows the washed out bridge.

Around eight o’clock in the evening, there was total darkness. Heavy drops of rain threatened to bore holes through our tin roof. Strong winds wanted to clear everything along its path. While nature unleashed her wrath, I could only imagine the possible scenarios and how I might respond. The worst thing that could happen is that the wind would blow our roof away, the rain would drench everything that remains, and our hillside would cover the rest with stone and mud. While imagining such grim situation, sleep did not come and visit me until everything seemed better. 

Around midnight, my brother sent me a text message saying that the national highway near our house is not passable and that many of our neighbors have to hurriedly leave their houses. With water rising immediately up to one meter, not a few of the houses had mud and dirt all over the place the morning after.

Smaller springs like this provide year round freshwater supply
to rice fields and households before the 2013 earthquake.
Now, the springs would dry up a few days after a rainy day.

On January 1 and 3, I found time, with the help of my brother and a friend who is teaching at a local high school, to visit my grandfather’s house in Barangay Cantigdas, the Makapiko Bridge in Barangay Rizal, and the barangays along the way. Some of the findings are instructive, at least to me, on how communities that are affected by disasters could enhance their resiliency.

In barangays Cantigdas, Poblacion Vieja, Poblacion Norte, Janlud, Cambacay, Rosariohan and Rizal, some of the rice fields, especially those that are newly planted, are either partially or almost completely damaged. The farmers say that they never experienced such flashflood since 1984 when Nitang, one of the deadliest typhoons, hit the Philippines. At the boundary of the towns of Batuan and Catigbian, the raging waters of Makapiko River that rose up to three meters around two o’clock in the morning of December 30 washed out the Makapiko Bridge. No wonder Loboc town was flooded and severely damaged.

Loboc River after the typhoon. Foto courtesy of Facebook.

Seniang also caused rocks to fall and completely render the road to Makapiko Bridge unpassable. What made this risk complicated is the obvious interplay between natural and human-induced hazards. The natural hazards are earthquake, heavy rainfall and landslide. The human induced hazard is quarrying. Taken together, these hazards are a good recipe for disaster particularly in upland areas. In addition, the risk of falling rocks remains even in the absence of the natural hazards because of the way quarrying is done.

Earthquake Impacts

Water from Ubujan Spring is almost one foot lower compared
to the average water level before the 2013 earthquake.
Foto taken while some ricefileds are still under water.

The ocular visit also revealed the negative impacts of the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Bohol and other provinces in 2013. The reports on deaths, injuries and damages have been extensively reported elsewhere. What I did not know is that the volume of water coming from the Ubujan Spring, and at least two other nearby springs, near Cambacay, Batuan was reduced by more than half its capacity after the earthquake. This caused some of the rice fields to dry up. Interviews with farmers showed that the spring provides natural irrigation to about sixty hectares of rice fields. With reduced water flow, an estimated 30 hectares of farm land would be unsuitable for rice farming. The consequence would be reduced farm yield and income. Thus, farmers have to look for suitable crops to plant.

Farms affected by decreased water flow from Ubjuan Spring.
This foto was taken while other rice fields are still flooded.

This cursory study shows that indeed Batuan, which is situated within the Loboc Watershed, is highly vulnerable to natural and human-induced hazards. The findings would hopefully encourage other researchers or local decision makers to conduct a comprehensive environment and natural resources, as well as vulnerability assessment of their respective territorial jurisdictions. Field data as of 2012 showed that only the town of Jagna (only one out of 47 municipalities and one city) had a functional disaster risk reduction and management program. The clear benefits that might be gained from such an exercise are validated data on the quality of environment and natural resources, hazards and risks, coping mechanisms and other inputs from the residents, practical suggestions on disaster risk reduction and management, strategies on local climate change adaptation, and citizens’ participation in problems and solutions analysis.

Indeed, safety is the price of vigilance when disaster strikes, but when those who are supposed to protect and save lives and property do not perform their job, everybody, especially the poor, is at the mercy of nature’s fury.

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[1] See http://pagasa.dost.gov.ph/index.php/bulletin-archive/206-seniang-2014-bulletin/1907-8

[2] See http://www.weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-precipitation-Rainfall,bohol,Philippines

[3] Shiphaus is owned by the Dumapias family – my tito, tita and first degree cousins. It is a house that is shaped and designed like a ship. It is one of the local tourist attractions.

[4] See http://pagasa.dost.gov.ph/index.php/international-shipping-archive/207-seniang-2014-shipping/1908-8-a

[5] See 

Managing Cities

by Alan S. Cajes

Cities are like ecosystems. They provide the life-support systems to all types of people who live within (and beyond) their boundaries. The life-support systems include housing, employment, trade, industry, commerce, education, transportation, water, electricity, sanitation, health care, security and recreation facilities, among others. Every person in cities has a specific location and profession (habitat and niche). By performing their respective professions in their respective locations, everyone contributes in maintaining a balance that sustains the life of cities.

But just like natural ecosystems, urban ecosystems can be degraded and destroyed. As members of urban ecosystems, it would help if everyone becomes aware of certain principles and approaches that will make cities become livable.

Principles

Nature works as a unitary whole, in an entirety of interactions that are beyond artificial divisions such as those imposed by people. Nature also operates based on certain principles that other fields call by other names like fundamental ecological processes or natural law. The principles are presented below. These are interrelated.

1. All forms of life are important

The tiniest plant and the tallest tree, the unseen microorganism and the biggest whale -- all have distinct roles in the ecosystem. If one of these becomes extinct, then there is a breakdown in the food chain, in the food web, in the food pyramid, in the cycle of materials and, therefore, in the ecosystem.

Savannah, Georgia, USA

2. Everything is connected with everything else

Both the living and non-living components of an ecosystem depend on each other for survival. None of these components is superior to the other and controls it. Because of interrelatedness, factors affecting one part would affect the rest.

3. Nothing is for free

Although the natural environment continuously recycles nutrients, the resources are not infinite. There is a limit up to which the ecosystem can support the demands of a population on its resources.

4. Nature knows best

For generations, nature has taken good care of itself. Man cannot determine nor dictate through legal standards or processes what is sustainable to maintain nature's delicate balance. He must, on the contrary, abide by nature's laws or suffer the consequences of nature's wrath.

5. Everything goes somewhere

Singapore

Materials in the environment are constantly reshaped or transformed, but nothing is created and destroyed. This is among the most basic principles of nature. However, man's constant interference with the natural processes and his misuse of the resources have created too much waste or useless resources, some of which have been transformed into harmful materials.

6. Everything changes

The interaction among living and non-living things in the ecosystem is a constant process and results in the transfer of energy from one thing to another, and the growth and eventual decay of all matter -- all of these in an endless cycle. The operation of natural laws assures that this process of change results in the health and maintenance of the environment.

7. Nature is beautiful and we are the stewards of creation

Kyoto, Japan

Humanity is realizing only now its true role with respect to the environment -- and that is to manage it according to the laws which have enabled it to exist for many years. By abusing the environment, man, in the end, would end up the loser. On the other hand, as man learns to abide by the principles and processes of nature, he would benefit the most from it.

Approaches

The key approaches that this writer has learned from the training program on Managing Big Cities at Ecole National D’Administration are presented below.(1)

Paris, France

1. Cities, like human beings, must evolve in accordance to their DNA or their historical significance. In designing cities or urban settlements, it is important that culture and values are recognized, respected and allowed to be reflected in land-use and settlement policies. For example, the city government mandates the kind of structures that will be constructed along the roads of Paris since 1800s to ensure uniformity, alignment and aesthetic value.


2. There are always trade-offs involved in designing urban settlements, but what should be given priority is the general welfare of the population. For example, the right to own cars and use them is limited by the right of the pedestrians to have safe and conducive walkways, as well as parks and open spaces.

Paris

3. Laws are meant to be implemented, not to be broken. For example, a Prefect, who is assigned as the representative of the French State at the local level, can file a case in an administrative court if local administrators fail to implement or violate any law.

4. Citizens can freely express their needs or desires and have the right to get answers. This could be traced to the long history of a semblance of direct democracy at the village level in France. For example, a citizen can demand a job for him/her or other members of the family and has the right to receive a response from the local executive. Another example is the case of a local chief executive who could not get the support of the citizens in implementing a project because of a failure to consult the stakeholders.

Paris

5. A national land-use and housing policy is critical to ensure that local governments can develop their respective land-use and housing policies that conform to the mandates under a national policy. In the case of the Philippines, the national land-use act remains a bill. In the absence of a national guide, the local government units prepare their land-use plans, if at all, based on limited knowledge and skill in land-use and settlement planning. The result is an unplanned development that negatively affects the various aspects of community life.

6. There are many ways to manage the transportation requirement of an urban settlement, as long as proper analysis is done and appropriate policies are in place. For example, the City of Paris has reduced the volume of cars by 10% for the past 3 years by prohibiting cars in some roads, by making bus rides convenient, and by making the subways faster and safe.

Paris subways

7. European cities have accepted the phenomenon of private vehicle owners ferrying passengers for a fee using an online registration system as a form of positive market behavior. For example, in the City of Paris, the use of private vehicles to carry passengers is not regulated by the State or by the city government.

8. There are many ways to manage the transportation requirements of cities. In the case of Paris, it has successfully used a combination of the following:

-High cost of getting a plate for taxis -- this limits the applications for taxi franchise.

-Wide and unbroken pedestrian walkways – this encourages walking.

-Reduction of spaces for cars – this discourages car ownership.

-Strict enforcement of no-parking zones – this discourages bringing of cars in certain areas.

-Efficient and on-time subway trains – this encourages more users.

-Conducive bus rides in designated bus stops – this provides an alternative to subway trains.

-Extensive network of metro and district trains - this helps prevent urban sprawl and give the people a choice where to stay.

-Use of bus rapid transit and trams - this make it easy to transport people faster compared to buses and cheaper compared to trains.

-Expensive spaces in Paris - this discourages urban congestion.

-Urban policies and design – these discourage informal settlements along waterways and areas of historical and aesthetic value.

-Policies that promote the city as a destination for historical and sustainable tourists – these attract more visitors than any other place.

Paris

9. Use of CCTVs, cars, horses and sufficient personnel as a tool for traffic management and for law enforcement. For example, the entire city has a network of CCTVs that could spot potential and actual violations.

10. Policy to prohibit the construction of buildings that uses negative energy. For example, a building permit is issued only if a property owner or developer could show evidence that it could generate more power than it will demand from the grid.

Implications to Philippine Urban Settlements

In view of the lessons learned above and the observations that this writer had noted down during  visits to different cities, there are challenges and opportunities that if properly understood and appropriately responded to, would help the state and non-state actors to embark on a sustainable settlements pathway for the country. The key challenges and opportunities are described below.

Cities need to create an identity

Strategic planning practitioners know the importance of formulating a vision for cities based on the traditional strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOTs) or on the imagined and desired future state using the alternative inquiry (AI) approach. A vision statement is the main strategic goal of any organization. It embodies the set of future conditions that the stakeholders define and determine within a given time frame. Although futuristic in direction, a vision statement, however, needs to be grounded on a set of cultural givens and social artifacts. In this manner, a city’s identify is a product of its historical unfolding. This goes without saying, however, that cities could not innovate or could not create an identity based on a clean slate.

Seine River, Paris

A city’s identity is her own soul. If a city projects herself as a place of golden friendship, then it follows that visitors will experience a special kind of affinity that only the city could offer. It should not be a city where visitors could not find an honest cab or tricycle driver, where street violence is rampant, and where hotels and tourist destinations are not safe. If a city imagines herself as a green and healthy city, then this implies that the city is walkable through wide and unbroken pedestrian lanes, that vehicles do not emit toxic gases that will destroy the lungs and reduce the intelligence quotient of children and adults, that there are bicycle and skateboard lanes, that there are green parks where people can rest and have leisure, that the city is not covered by billboards of all sizes and contents, that every side and corner is clean, that waterways are not dead and clogged with garbage, and that houses and establishments follow proper design specifications regardless of class or level of income.

Cities need proper land-use plans and building designs

Land-use planning was earlier used as a means to stop the uncontrolled development of settlements. It is based on the power of the city, a power derived from the Constitution, to limit individual liberty to ensure that every citizen lives in a settlement that is fit for human habitation. It “creates the prerequisites required to achieve a type of land use, which is sustainable, socially and environmentally compatible, socially desirable and economically sound”. (2) It means creating a settlement that jives with its natural endowment. It means establishing what Justice Douglas described as a “quiet place where yards are wide, people few, and motor vehicles restricted” because these “are legitimate guidelines in a land-use project addressed to family needs.” He explained: “The police power is not confined to elimination of filth, stench, and unhealthy places. It is ample to lay out zones where family values, youth values, and the blessings of quiet seclusion and clean air make the area a sanctuary for people." (3)

Cities must have land-use plans that are based on best contemporary practices and they must implement land-use plans uniformly, consistently and well. In accordance to land-use plans, cities must also have suitable building design specifications to ensure that the edifices, transportation facilities, open spaces and houses blend with the overall design of the cities. Cities must not lose sight of their origin, at least based on the conventional view, that they emerged as a result of the agricultural revolution to support the requirements of an increasingly large population.

Cities must provide appropriate transport plans

Seine River & Notre Dame Chruch, Paris

Cities must provide opportunities for people to walk safely from their houses to places of work, learning, worship and recreation. Researchers point out that walking provides fitness and blood pressure benefits. To encourage walking, cities should establish wide and unbroken pedestrian lanes, which are free from barriers like parked vehicles. To help improve the air quality, cities should plant tree species that have high capacity to absorb greenhouse gases along roads and in green parks. To avoid the conflict between trees and electricity lines and posts, as well as to reduce the risk of damage from typhoons, cities should pursue underground cabling of electricity and telephone lines. To prevent damage to the skylines and cultural heritage, cities should come up with an innovative way of using properly designed trains (aboveground or underground), bus rapid transit, trams, buses, cabs, jeeps and tricycles using electricity, liquefied petroleum gas or liquefied natural gas.

Cities must also come up with appropriate policies, laws and regulations. To limit the number of vehicles, cities should declare old vehicles as off limits in city roads, disallow vehicle ownership without appropriate parking areas, and limit the streets where vehicles are allowed.

Cities must provide suitable housing units

The presence of informal settlers, especially the urban poor, is a big challenge in city governance. However, it is a problem that will become serious over time if correct solutions are not implemented at the right time. The correct solution is to enforce the land-use plan, especially the easement requirements, remove the informal settlements, and transfer the settlers in suitable housing units located in appropriate areas. This means that transferees will not have difficulty taking public transportation to their places of work – which an efficient public transportation system should be able to provide. People can pay their respected housing units over time based on agreed upon dates.

Suitable housing units should be planned so that the health, sanitation and safety of the residents are not compromised. This means providing proper solid waste management, clean water management, effective, efficient and professional law enforcement, as well as sufficient health care services and facilities.

Conclusion

There is no easy way to pursue good governance in cities. But there are cities in the Philippines (Marikina, Davao, Puerto Princesa, Cagayan de Oro, etc.) and abroad (Savannah, Paris, Singapore, Taipei, Osaka) that are trying to show the way. If others could do it, then there is no reason why the rest could not do it.

Indeed, there are factors that contribute in creating unsustainable cities. These factors generally include the absence of the political will to implement rules, absence of civic will to make political leaders accountable, and absence of corporate citizenship from the business sector. The experience of other cities point to some ways to break the cycle of unsustainability. At one point, a good leader will be elected by the people and this leader will pursue that which is good for the greatest number. At another point, the people will make their voices heard and demand that their leaders do their job. Somewhere in the future, a visionary from the private sector will produce goods that will not harm human and ecological health, deliver services that will benefit the community and the government, and help shape the development of cities along such paths as green productivity, sustainable consumption, cleaner production or sustainability.

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(1) On November 24-28, 2014, I participated in the training program entitled “Managing Big Cities” conducted by the Ecole National D’Administration at its main office in Paris. The French Government provided the scholarship grant for the study. I thank DAP SVP Magdalena L. Mendoza for nominating me to the training program. The nomination was duly endorsed by DAP President Antonio D. Kalaw Jr. and DAP Chairman of the Board Dr. Cayetano W. Paderanga.

(2) Working Group on Integrated Land Use Planning (1999). Land Use Planning Methods, Strategies and Tools. Eschborn, Germany: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH

(3) Justice Douglas, Village of Belle Terre v. Boraas (1974). Available at https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/416/1/case.html

Kausaban sa Klima

Ang Batad Rice Terraces delikado sa huwaw, pagbaha ug landslide nga pipila
sa mga maot nga epekto sa kusaban sa klima (Litraro kuha ni Alan Cajes)

Ang pagkausab o pagkabag-o sa klima o panahon adunay dako nga epekto sa kinabuhi sa tawo, sa iyang katilingban ug sa kinaiyahan (natural environment) sa iyang lugar. Dili man tood kanunay nga maot ang epekto sa pagkausab sa klima, apan ang kasagarang epekto peligroso sa tawo, sa katilingban ug sa kinaiayahan.

Sa dili pa nato tuki-on kung unsa ang buot ipasabot sa kausaban sa klima, atong paundingan ang pipila nga angay natong mahibaw-an mahitungod sa atong kinaiyahan.

Ang kinaiyan adunay mga sistemang ekolohikal (ecological systems). Kining mga sistemang ekolohikal nagkalain-lain, apan silang tanan pareho nga dunay buhi (living) ug dili buhi (non-living) nga mga nilalang nga nagkinahanglan sa usag-usa aron ang sistemang ekolohikal mabusi, magpadayon ug dili madaot.

Usa sa mahinungdanong sistemang ekolohikal mao ang lasang (forest). Ang usa ka lasang daghan ug nagkadaiyang buhi nga mga nilalang, sama sa mga tanom, hayop, langgam (bird), insekto, gagmay nga mga organismo (microorganisms) ug uban pa. Ang lasang daghan usab ug mga dili buhi nga mga nilalang, sama sa yuta, tubig, nahulog nga dahon, naputol nga sanga sa kahoy, ug uban pa.

Ang mga nilalang nga nagpuyo sa lasang adunay lain-laing puy-anan (habitat) ug angayang luna (niche). Pananglit, ang kahoy nga narra motubo sa lasang nga adunay lumad nga mga kahoy, walay dayag o klaro nga epekto sa kalihokan sa tawo, ug walay grabe nga daot sa ekolohiyang mga pamaagi (ecological processes). Motubo usab ang narra sa lasang nga namugna human madaot ang orihinal nga lasang tungod sa tawo (sama sa pag-uma) ug kinaiyahan (sama sa natural nga sunog). 

Makit-an ang narra sa tanang lugar sa Pilipinas, gawas sa lugar nga dunay kahabugon nga sobra sa 8,000 ka tiil. Lahi ang pinuyanan sa narra ug molave tungod kay ang molave motubo lang sa mga lugar nga dili sobra sa 500 ka tiil ang kahabogon.

Ang mga lumad nga kahoy sa atong kalasangan adunay mahinungdanong papel nga gigampan. Sa atong lasang nga tropikal (tropical forest), ang mga  kahoy moabot sa gitas-on nga hangtud 33 ka metros (meters), sama sa atong narra. Ang gidak-on sa iyang puno-an moabot ug duha ka metros. Ang iyang puno-an kasagarang modako hangtud sa pito (7) ka metros ang dayametro tungod sa mga dagkong mga dalid. Ang iyang mga sanga tag-as. Sa bag-o pa ang mga sanga, patoyhakaw kini hangtud nga mobawog, unya moduko o molunang ang mga tumoy nga daw ngilit sa payong.

Ang mga kahoy sa ubos nga lasang (menos 1,000 metros) nga nakasinati ug kusog nga uwan matag tuig (lowland rainforest) kasagaran dagko, tul-lid ug tag-as sama sa narra. Ang ilang mga sanga ug mga dahon nga moabot sa kahabugon nga 20 hangtud 40 metros nagapandong sa adlaw ug nagapahamog sa ulan ug hangin. Sa ngi-ob ug bugnaw nga espasyo ubos sa mga dahon ug ibabaw sa yuta sa lasang, daghan ug nagkalain-laing mga halaman, sama sa mga tanom nga mokatkat, pako, bagon, libon ug mga gagmay nga mga kahoy, ang nanglambo. Ang yuta sa lasang, nga gitabonan sa mga dahong laya ug mga nadogta nga gikan sa halamanan, gi-atbogan sa gagmay nga mga tanom ug hayop (flora ug fauna).

Ang mga kahoy sa taas ug bugnaw nga lasang (montaine rainforest) makaplagan sugod sa elebasyon nga 1,000 metros. Ibabaw sa bugnaw nga lasang, sugod sa elebasyon nga 2,500 metros, makaplagan ang mga kahoy nga kasagaran gitabonan ang ilang mga pungkay sa mga panganod (cloud forest). Kini nga mga lasang kanunay nga basa tungod sa kanunay nga ulan. Tungod niini, nagtipig ang mga lasang ug dagko nga anib sa tubig nga hinayhinay nga modagayday ngadto sa mga tuburan, kasapaan ug kasubaan. Ang mga lasang usab maoy hinungdan sa kaalimuot (humidity) nga moabot sa 70-100 porsento bisan sa panahong ting-init. Sa atong nasod, ang humid nga hangin kasarangan mobugnaw sa matag 1,000 metros nga elebasyon. Kung mas taas ang elebasyon, mas bugnaw ang hangin. Kung mas bugnaw ang hangin, mas kanunay ang pag-uwan. Kung mas kanunay ang pag-uwan, mas kanunay nga modagayday ang tubig sa mga tuburan, kasapaan ug kasubaan. Mahinungdanon kini kay ang atong mga tubig-saluran (watersheds) dili dagko kung ikompara sa tubig-saluran sa mga nasod nga Columbia, Peru, Brazil, Congo, America ug Russia.

Mao gani nga ang mga bagyo nga moagi sa Pilipinas matawag nato nga gasa tungod kay ang uwan nga ilang dala nagapuno sa tubig nga gitipigan sa atong mga tubig-saluran. Ang mga dahon sa atong kalasangan nagapakunhod sa mga kusog nga ulan aron ang tubig masawo sa yuta. Ang atong kalasangan nagasilbi nga taming batok sa kusog nga hangin. Sila nagapugong sa pagdahili sa yuta ug nagatabang sa pagpadayon sa sikulo sa tubig (water cycle). Sila usab nagapugong sa pagbag-o sa klima kay ang gas nga carbon dioxide gigamit sa ilang mga dahon sa phostynthesis o pagkombertir sa silaw sa adlaw ngadto sa enerheyang kemikal. Kining enerheyang kemikal maoy sugnod aron moandar ang natural nga kalihokan sa kahoy, sama sa pagsuyop sa tubig gikan sa yuta aron dad-on ngadto sa mga dahon. Pinaagi sa photosynthesis, ang carbon dioxide suyopon sa mga dahon ug ang sobra nga oxygen buhian ug balik ngadto sa atmospera. Kining girilis nga oxygen apil sa hangin nga atong giginhawa.

Gawas sa lasang, aduna pay laing mga sistemang ekolohikal nga nagatabang sa atong planeta aron makab-ot ang balanseng ekolohiya (ecological balance). Ang ubang sistemang ekolohikal mao ang katubigang tab-ang (freshwater ecosystem), kadagatan (marine ecosystem), kasagbotan (grassland ecosystem, ug uban. Kung dili nato gub-on ang sistemang ekolohikal, posibleng dili nato mausab ang klima sama sa nahitabo karon. Isip pahinumdom, kung wala na o daot na ang atong kalasangan, dyutay na lang ang mosuyop sa carbon dioxide nga usa sa mga gas nga hinungdan sa kausaban sa klima. Kung padayon ang pag rilis nato ug carbon dioxide sa atmospera pinaagi sa pagsunog sa gasolina o diesel ug uban pa para sa atong mga sakyanan ug mga pabrika, padayon ang pagtingob sa carbon dioxide sa atmospera.

Hulagway sa greenhouse gikan sa
3businessideas.blogspot.com

Nganong mausab man ang klima kung matingob ang gas, sama sa carbon dioxide, sa atmospera?

Sa dili pa nato tubagon ang pangutana, kinahanglan natong masabtan ang konsepto nga epekto sa greenhouse (greenhouse effect). Ang epekto sa greenhouse nakuha gikan sa usa ka talamnanan nga gitabunan ug bildo o plastik. Kini nga talamnanan gitawag ug greenhouse. Panahon sa gabii, ang sulod sa greenhouse halos pareho kabugnaw sa hangin sa gawas niini. Inig subang sa adlaw, ang init sa silaw suyupon sa greenhouse. Kini maoy hinungdan nga ang hangin sa sulod sa greenhouse moinit ug dili ma rilis tungod sa atop ug bungbong nga gama sa bildo o plastik. Ang init sa sulod sa greenhouse kinahanglan aron motubo ang mga tanom. Ang greenhouse gigamit aron maprotektahan ug maamoma ang mga tinanom. 

Kung atong ilisan ang greenhouse sa atong planeta, ang pag-init sa hangin ug pagmentenar sa kaiiniton maoy gitawag nga epektong greenhouse. Ang nag pugong sa init nga hangin aron dili moikyas gitawag nga greenhouse gasses.

Ang atong planeta, sama sa usa ka greenhouse, gitabunan sa usa ka habol sa hangin nga gitawag nga atmospera. Ang atmospera dunay pipila ka mga hut-ong sa mga gas, sama sa nitrogen (78.08%), oxygen (20.95%), argon (0.93%), ug ang mga gitawag nga greenhouse gasses sama sa carbon dioxide (0.038%), tubig-alisngaw (1%), methane (0.442%), nitrous oxide (0.078%) ug ozone (0.010%). Ang greenhouse gases maoy nagapugong aron ang ubang init sa silaw sa adlaw dili makaikyas. Kung wala ang mga greenhouse gases, ang kasarangang temperature sa planeta menusan pa ug 30 degrees Celsius. Sa ingon ani ka ubos nga temperatura, ang mga sitemang ekolohikal dili mabuhi. Walay tanom, hayop, ug tawo nga mabuhi.

Ang epektong greenhouse diay maoy hinungdanan nganong posible ang kinabuhi sa yuta. Ug ang mga natural nga greenhouse gasses maoy nagatabang aron mahitabo ang epektong greenhouse. 

Apan nganong mausab man ang klima kung matingob ang greenhouse gas, sama sa carbon dioxide, sa atmospera?

Ang kausaban sa klima nahitabo tungod sa pag-init sa kalibutan (global warming) nga tungod usab sa sobrang epektong greenhouse. Tungod sa mga kalihokan sa katawhan, sama sa paggamit ug sakyanan, kuryente, aerosols, airconditioner, refrigerator, apil na ang pagputol sa mga kakahuyan, pagsunog sa basura, ug polusyon sa hangin, yuta ug tubig, gidugangan sa tawo ang natural greenhouse gases. 

Isip ehemplo, ang carbon dioxide sa atmospera niadtong tuig 2011 miabot sa 392 parts per million (ppm). Kini nga lebel mas taas pa sa pagtaas-kanaog sa konsentrasyon sa carbon dioxide sulod sa mi-aging 650,000 ka mga katuigan nga natali lang sa lebel nga 180-280 ppm.  Ug kay natingob ang gidugangan nga greenhouse gases sa atmospera, nasobrahan ang pagpugong sa init gikan sa adlaw. Tungod niini, mitaas ang temperatura sa atong kalibutan.

Matud sa mga eksperto, ang kasarangang temperatura sa ibabaw sa yuta mitaas ug 1 degree Celsius sa milabay nga siglo ug ang pinakahinugdan mao ang sobrang epektong greenhouse. Sa Pilipinas, ang anomaliya sa temperature sa ibabaw sa yuta sa milabay nga 30 ka tuig natali sa 0.1 - 0.5 degree Celsius matag dekada sa Northern Luzon ug 0.5 - 1.0 degree Celsius matag dekada sa Visayas ug Mindanao.

Ang kausaban sa klima mohatod ug mga peligro sa atong nasod. Apil sa mga peligro mao ang pagtaas sa tubig sa dagat, mas kusog nga mga bagyo, huwaw, baha, pagdahili sa yuta ug uban pa.

Unsay mahimong buhaton aron dili grabe ang risgo nga dala sa pagkausab sa klima? Mao kini ang atong tuki-on sa mosunod nga artikulo. (Sinulat ni Alan S. Cajes)

Main References:

Comiso, Josefino C., et. al. (2014). Changing Philippine Climate, Impacts on Agriculture and Natural Resources.  Quezon City: The University of the Philippines Press.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2014). Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Available at http://ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg2/