December 12, 2004: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Deforestation: Flooding: Sun Star, Philippines: Generally, people equate flashfloods with deforestation. Is this true? Philippines RPCV Dr. Patrick Durst replies: "Whenever there is a catastrophic flood, people frequently jump to blame deforestation as the cause. This is rarely the case, although deforestation can exacerbate the impact.
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Philippines:
Peace Corps Philippines:
The Peace Corps in the Philippines:
December 12, 2004: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Deforestation: Flooding: Sun Star, Philippines: Generally, people equate flashfloods with deforestation. Is this true? Philippines RPCV Dr. Patrick Durst replies: "Whenever there is a catastrophic flood, people frequently jump to blame deforestation as the cause. This is rarely the case, although deforestation can exacerbate the impact.
Generally, people equate flashfloods with deforestation. Is this true? Philippines RPCV Dr. Patrick Durst replies: "Whenever there is a catastrophic flood, people frequently jump to blame deforestation as the cause. This is rarely the case, although deforestation can exacerbate the impact.
Generally, people equate flashfloods with deforestation. Is this true? Philippines RPCV Dr. Patrick Durst replies: "Whenever there is a catastrophic flood, people frequently jump to blame deforestation as the cause. This is rarely the case, although deforestation can exacerbate the impact.
Deforestation: Of flashfloods and death
By Henrylito D. Tacio
HISTORY repeats itself. That is what happening to our country once more. The typhoons that came one after another--Unding, Violeta, Winnie, and Yoyong-left many people homeless; hundreds, if not thousands, are dead or missing.
A "nightmare happening all over again," one expert commented, referring to the tragedy that befell Ormoc City in November 1991. Some 5,000 people were reportedly killed as a result of landslides and floods caused by typhoon.
"We're reliving a nightmare," he pointed out. "It's all because we're losing our forests."
"Our forests are denuded, so that when it rains, the water go straight to the rivers and homes, causing flashfloods," Hernando Avellaneda, the mayor of General Nakar, told GMA Network's radio station zdBB.
He said that almost 40 percent of the people in his town depend on illegal logging for a living.
{Excerpt}
Generally, people equate flashfloods with deforestation. Is this true? Dr. Patrick Durst replies: "Whenever there is a catastrophic flood, people frequently jump to blame deforestation as the cause. This is rarely the case, although deforestation can exacerbate the impact.
"The usual basic cause of floods/landslides is simply too much rain occurring in too short a time," explained the regional forestry officer of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Bangkok.
This is the case with all major flooding in large river systems in China such as Yangtze and Mekong.
When the ground becomes fully saturated, no amount of vegetation can prevent water runoff, the FAO official said. Landslides are also common under such conditions, especially on steep, geologically unstable sites.
"Although deep-rooted trees can help secure soil and can help avoid landslides in some areas, certainly not every landslide is a result of having cut trees from an area," said Dr. Durst, who once served as a US Peace Corps volunteer in Bohol.
The reality is that with increased population, there are more and more people living and building infrastructure in areas that are highly vulnerable, he added. "This is why it appears that disasters are now more frequent and serious than in the past," he pointed out.
"Unfortunately, politicians, officials, journalists, and foresters too often jump to conclusions about such events without proper study and analysis of the real issues and circumstances surrounding them," he concluded.
When this story was posted in December 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:
| Our debt to Bill Moyers Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia." |
| Is Gaddi Leaving? Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors. |
| The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn. |
| Charges possible in 1976 PCV slaying Congressman Norm Dicks has asked the U.S. attorney in Seattle to consider pursuing charges against Dennis Priven, the man accused of killing Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner on the South Pacific island of Tonga 28 years ago. Background on this story here and here. |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: Sun Star, Philippines
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Philippines; Deforestation; Flooding
PCOL15378
64
.