Philippines - multi hazardous zone

• Earthquakes: Luzon (magnitude 7.8) in 1990 killed over

  1600, Bohol (magnitude 7.2) in 2013 killed over 200 and

  damaged thousands of buildings.
• Volcanoes: Pinatubo in 1991 was the second largest

  eruption of the twentieth century, early warning saved

  many people. Mayon is the most active volcano erupting in

  2014 and known for its lahars.
• Tropical storms: Numerous storms cross the Philippines

  every year, Typhoon Haiyan in 2103 was one of the most

  deadly in recent years.
• Complex disasters: In a multi-hazard zone two or more

  hazards may interact to produce more complex disasters.

  The 1991 Pinatubo eruption was followed by Typhoon

  Yunya and the heavy rain combined with volcanic ash to

  produce deadly lahars.
• The Philippines are an archipelago over 7000 islands

  with over 100 million people.
• The Philippines is located on the western rim of the

  Pacific Ring of Fire. The islands and volcanoes have

  been formed by the subduction of the dense Philippine

  Plate underneath the less dense Eurasian Plate.
• The destructive plate boundary leads to a high risk of

  volcanic eruptions and earthquakes but also significant

  secondary hazards such as lahars and tsunamis.
• The Philippines also lies on a tropical storm track where

  these storms move from the Pacific Ocean into south-

  east Asia making the country the most exposed country

  in the world to this type of hazard.
• Frequent tropical storms can lead to secondary hazards such as landslides as well as interact with ash from eruptions leading to lahars.
• In the last 20 years the Philippines have experienced over 300 natural disasters and the government believe the risk from typhoons is increasing in part due to climate change.
• In recent years Filipinos have migrated in large numbers to low- lying areas where low cost high density housing is available but vulnerability to natural hazards is high.
• Rapid urbanisation has exacerbated the level of risk with its high density, flimsily built housing.
• Environmental degradation has also had a role to play in

  increasing risk and vulnerability, for example, deforestation

  means that exposed slopes lead to rapid run-off and flooding as well as the potential for landslides.
• Climate change is also playing its part with areas previously not affected by disasters not experiencing them
• Attitudes in the past of government institutions have been

  largely reactive. There has been an emphasis on post-disaster relief and short-term preparedness (forecasting/evacuation).
• In addition, government systems in dealing with disasters are centralised and top-down in approach rather than making us of local knowledge and expertise.
• There are varying attitudes and perceptions of disaster risk as illustrated by the example of the Taal volcano, one of the Philippines most active. A government funded Disaster

  Management Training Workshop aimed to prevent residential occupation of the island that is home to the volcano.
• However, it became clear that local people’s attitudes were very different. Anxiety amongst locals was not significant and they believed it was a risk worth taking in view of the fact that the volcano provides rich fertile soils and mining opportunities. The presence of a warning station on the island made some local people feel that the island was safe to live on. Both stakeholder groups had legitimate views but differences exist due to different needs, priorities, perceptions and needs.
• Filipinos have been praised for their resilience in living in a

  multi-hazard environment. However, some commentators

  have noted that some communities have a very fatalistic

  attitude and accept that disasters are part of “Gods will” and losses are inevitable.
• Recently there have been some changes in how Filipinos

  respond to hazard risk. The Philippines National Red

  Cross in conjunction with the foreign Red Cross

  organisations has started a number of community

  programmes. The aim is to reduce the effects of natural

  disasters by encouraging people to collaborate in

  protecting lives and resources.
• Red Cross plans include:

  • Training local volunteers in disaster management

  • Identifying risk through land use mapping and determining which mitigation measures might be possible

  • Implementing mitigation measures such as sea walls and dykes as well as health rated measures such as ensuring clean water supplies.

  • Proactively developing evacuation plans.

  • Improving the dissemination of community information

  and education about hazard risk
• Central government in the Philippines is working hard

  to address some of the mistakes of the past. The

  United Nations believe that the Philippines has some

  of the most effective risk-reduction laws in the world,

  however, these remain on paper and not always in

  reality.
• A country spread over 7000 islands makes the

  implementation of policies and law difficult. Local

  governments have been criticised for not always

  spending money wisely.
• Recent legislation dictates that 70% of disaster

  spending should be on long-term plans and only 30%

  on emergency aid. This represents a more proactive

  and sustainable approach to disaster management.
• • However, the challenges remain of a multi-hazard

  environment where resources are stretched. Before

  people fully recover form one disaster another one

  comes along