Yes, indeed! It's poor countries like Philippines that's bearing the brunt of climate change impact. :(
Rich countries must give massive reparations.
pag pray pod Juan..
Pray for what? For mannas from heaven to continually rain down on the Philippines so o/s Pinoys like us won't be sending remittances anymore?
While still working in Koolan Island mine, kitchen personnel mainly consists of Yugoslav hardknocks. Like Philippines, Yugoslavia is a 3rd world country. Poorly educated. Ang ilang English tipsing2X lang. Rather than sending home remittances, bought properties in Perth for investments. Said, "If they want money, they come to Australia".
Calamities have always been a part of life in the Philippines since time immemorial. With climate change the situation will only aggravate. It's a worldwide problem. Will get worse before it gets better.
Simon Tisdall guardian.co.uk, Sunday 17 February 2013 16.27 GMT
But the bigger issue is climate change, which posed an "existential threat" to the Philippines, Ramos said. "We are mainstreaming climate change in all government departments and policies. If we don't adapt and adjust, we all agree we are heading for disaster."
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To read further, click http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/17/filipino-super-typhoon-climate-change (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/17/filipino-super-typhoon-climate-change)
As mentioned elsewhere, mankind is racing against time to save planet earth. Compounding the problem is the aging population of engineers and scientists required to tackle the problem. Yes, indeed! The world has a dearth of them.
So, if you're saying pray for no more calamities in the Philippines, forget it. Time and time again, it's gonna recur. Accept reality. ;)
Instead, pray that the Philippines will have adequate resources to confront future calamities. :) ;)
Rappler by Dean Antonio La Vina and Dr. Kristoffer Berse Posted on 10/20/2013 5:08 PM | Updated 10/21/2013 1:30 PM
Rappler by Dean Antonio La Vina and Dr. Kristoffer Berse Posted on 10/20/2013 5:08 PM | Updated 10/21/2013 1:30 PM
In the end, it is up to all Boholanos kababayans back home to own or not a new path of development, one that will keep them, their loved ones and their investments safe from the ravages of nature. – Rappler.com
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Quote from: juan on October 18, 2013, 12:36:05 PM
Be proactive! Forego crab mentality! Synergize!
:) ;)
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If kababayans back home don't safeguard themselves against calamities, they have nobody else but themselves to blame for their plight when it occurs.
No different from having sex. If a bloke doesn't use condom, he has nobody else but himself to blame should he contract HIV. :D ;)
Death count could reach 10,000 people after Typhoon Haiyan slams into the Central Philippines: officials
About 4 million residents have been affected by the category 5 storm, with 800,000 forced to abandon their homes. More than 1,000 bodies were seen floating in the flooded remains of the city of Tacloban after the typhoon hit, Red Cross officials said.
BY LARRY MCSHANE / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS 17 MINUTES AGO
PUBLISHED: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2013, 8:45 AM
UPDATED: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2013, 8:39 PM
The Philippines death toll could reach 10,000 Sunday, officials said after a brutally powerful typhoon with 170 mph winds and a tree-high storm surge reduced one major city to rubble.
Officials are continuing to count the growing number of dead from Typhoon Haiyan, which cut a devastating path of horror through a half-dozen islands in the Central Philippines.
Regional police chief Elmer Soria said he was briefed by Leyte provincial Gov. Dominic Petilla late Saturday and told there were about 10,000 deaths on the island, mostly by drowning and from collapsed buildings. The governor's figure was based on reports from village officials in areas where Typhoon Haiyan slammed Friday.
Tacloban city administrator Tecson Lim said that the death toll in the city alone "could go up to 10,000."
“This is destruction on a massive scale,” said Sebastian Stampa, head of the U.N. Disaster Assessment Coordination Team, after arriving in the country. “The cars are thrown around like tumbleweeds, and the streets are strewn with debris.”
The city of Tacloban was left in ruins by Friday’s typhoon, one of the strongest to ever make landfall. More than 1,000 bodies were seen floating in the city’s flooded remains, said Gwendolyn Pang, secretary general of the Philippine Red Cross.
Another 200 deaths were reported on the island of Samar, she said. The whipping winds and crashing waves washed away many seaside homes, while other scores of other buildings were leveled by the so-called “super typhoon.”
One heart-rending image from the region showed a man carrying the drowned body of his 6-year-old daughter.
On the island of Busuanga, one official said the majority of the structures were wiped out by the storm.
Officials said about 4 million residents were affected by the category 5 typhoon, with 800,000 forced to abandon their homes.
The sustained winds of 147 mph — with gusts about 30 mph higher — “was like a 747 flying just above my roof,” said Jim Pe, vice mayor of the town of Coron on Busuanga.
The 200,000 residents of Tacloban were stuck without electricity, water and phone service as officials scrambled to assess the full extent of the carnage.
“We expect a very high number of fatalities as well as injured,” conceded Filipino Interior Secretary Max Roxas. “The devastation is — I don’t have words for it. It’s really horrific. It’s a great human tragedy.”
The airport at Tacloban, on the hardest-hit Leyte Island, resembled a muddy junk yard with overturned cars, shattered windows and twisted tin roofs.
Tacloban resident Sandy Torotoro, 44, said the storm surge swept away a Jeep where he sought protection from the pounding typhoon.
“The water was as high as a coconut tree,” he said. “I got out of the Jeep and I was swept away by the rampaging water, (along) with logs, trees and our house.”
The married father of an 8-year-old daughter recounted the nightmarish scene as the city streets turned into raging rivers.
“When we were being swept by the water, many people were floating and raising their hands and yelling for help,” he said. “But what can we do? We also needed to be helped.”
Secretary of State John Kerry issued a statement promising that the United States “stands ready to help” — but the massive damage was already complicating relief efforts.
The typhoon weakened Sunday as it approached central and northern Vietnam where authorities evacuated more than 500,000 people.
"The rescue operation is ongoing. We expect a very high number of fatalities as well as injured," Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said after visiting Tacloban on Saturday. "All systems, all vestiges of modern living - communications, power, water - all are down. Media is down, so there is no way to communicate with the people in a mass sort of way."With News Wire Services
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To view photos and watch videos, click http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/typhoon-haiyan-kills-1-200-philippines-report-article-1.1511577 (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/typhoon-haiyan-kills-1-200-philippines-report-article-1.1511577)
Death count could reach 10,000 people after Typhoon Haiyan slams into the Central Philippines: officials
About 4 million residents have been affected by the category 5 storm, with 800,000 forced to abandon their homes. More than 1,000 bodies were seen floating in the flooded remains of the city of Tacloban after the typhoon hit, Red Cross officials said.
BY LARRY MCSHANE / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS 17 MINUTES AGO
PUBLISHED: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2013, 8:45 AM
UPDATED: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2013, 8:39 PM
The Philippines death toll could reach 10,000 Sunday, officials said after a brutally powerful typhoon with 170 mph winds and a tree-high storm surge reduced one major city to rubble.
Officials are continuing to count the growing number of dead from Typhoon Haiyan, which cut a devastating path of horror through a half-dozen islands in the Central Philippines.
Regional police chief Elmer Soria said he was briefed by Leyte provincial Gov. Dominic Petilla late Saturday and told there were about 10,000 deaths on the island, mostly by drowning and from collapsed buildings. The governor's figure was based on reports from village officials in areas where Typhoon Haiyan slammed Friday.
Tacloban city administrator Tecson Lim said that the death toll in the city alone "could go up to 10,000."
“This is destruction on a massive scale,” said Sebastian Stampa, head of the U.N. Disaster Assessment Coordination Team, after arriving in the country. “The cars are thrown around like tumbleweeds, and the streets are strewn with debris.”
The city of Tacloban was left in ruins by Friday’s typhoon, one of the strongest to ever make landfall. More than 1,000 bodies were seen floating in the city’s flooded remains, said Gwendolyn Pang, secretary general of the Philippine Red Cross.
Another 200 deaths were reported on the island of Samar, she said. The whipping winds and crashing waves washed away many seaside homes, while other scores of other buildings were leveled by the so-called “super typhoon.”
One heart-rending image from the region showed a man carrying the drowned body of his 6-year-old daughter.
On the island of Busuanga, one official said the majority of the structures were wiped out by the storm.
Officials said about 4 million residents were affected by the category 5 typhoon, with 800,000 forced to abandon their homes.
The sustained winds of 147 mph — with gusts about 30 mph higher — “was like a 747 flying just above my roof,” said Jim Pe, vice mayor of the town of Coron on Busuanga.
The 200,000 residents of Tacloban were stuck without electricity, water and phone service as officials scrambled to assess the full extent of the carnage.
“We expect a very high number of fatalities as well as injured,” conceded Filipino Interior Secretary Max Roxas. “The devastation is — I don’t have words for it. It’s really horrific. It’s a great human tragedy.”
The airport at Tacloban, on the hardest-hit Leyte Island, resembled a muddy junk yard with overturned cars, shattered windows and twisted tin roofs.
Tacloban resident Sandy Torotoro, 44, said the storm surge swept away a Jeep where he sought protection from the pounding typhoon.
“The water was as high as a coconut tree,” he said. “I got out of the Jeep and I was swept away by the rampaging water, (along) with logs, trees and our house.”
The married father of an 8-year-old daughter recounted the nightmarish scene as the city streets turned into raging rivers.
“When we were being swept by the water, many people were floating and raising their hands and yelling for help,” he said. “But what can we do? We also needed to be helped.”
Secretary of State John Kerry issued a statement promising that the United States “stands ready to help” — but the massive damage was already complicating relief efforts.
The typhoon weakened Sunday as it approached central and northern Vietnam where authorities evacuated more than 500,000 people.
"The rescue operation is ongoing. We expect a very high number of fatalities as well as injured," Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said after visiting Tacloban on Saturday. "All systems, all vestiges of modern living - communications, power, water - all are down. Media is down, so there is no way to communicate with the people in a mass sort of way."With News Wire Services
****************************
To view photos and watch videos, click http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/typhoon-haiyan-kills-1-200-philippines-report-article-1.1511577 (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/typhoon-haiyan-kills-1-200-philippines-report-article-1.1511577)
How many fatalities next time? ???
The Washington Post Posted by Brad Plumer on November 12, 2013 at 12:29 pm
The massive typhoon that devastated the central Philippines over the weekend was deadly for a host of complex reasons — accidents of geography, a growing population, poor infrastructure. And, to a lesser extent, global warming may have factored in.
It's that last one that's getting all the attention this week, as the latest round of U.N. climate negotiations opened in Warsaw on Monday. The delegate from the Philippines, Naderev Saño, gave an emotional speech arguing that Typhoon Haiyan was "a sobering reminder to the international community that we cannot afford to procrastinate on climate action."
But what does this mean, exactly? There are all sorts of things that Typhoon Haiyan highlighted about the difficulties that poorer countries such as the Philippines will face in dealing with natural disasters as the world warms. Here's a partial rundown:
1) The Philippines has become increasingly vulnerable to typhoons for lots of reasons — and climate change is only one angle here.
Thanks to basic geography, the Philippines has long been one of the most storm-ravaged places on Earth, with about 8 to 9 typhoons making landfall each year, on average. The warm waters surrounding the island nation help fuel strong tropical cyclones, and there are few natural barriers to slow the storms down or break them up.
Those tropical cyclones appear to have become increasingly deadly in recent years — since 2004, the Philippines has experienced five storms that have each killed more than 1,000 people, not including Haiyan. In a report last year, the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) argued that typhoons were becoming more destructive over the past 20 years. But the reasons given were multifaceted.
There are small hints that global warming may be playing a role: One 2008 study in Nature found that the very strongest typhoons in the northwest Pacific seem to have become more intense since 1981 — by about 20 mph, on average — as the oceans have warmed. But that trend wasn't statistically significant, and another recent study found no increase in landfalling typhoons in the area over the same period. Detecting a clear trend here is difficult, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded. And it's even harder to say whether the strength of a single storm like Haiyan can be attributed to man-made climate change.
But that's not the whole story, either: Sea levels around the Philippines have also risen by half an inch in the past 20 years, faster than the worldwide average. That can intensify the risk of storm surges, which reportedly reached 15 to 20 feet in Haiyan's case. It's also more clearly a consequence of global warming — though groundwater extraction is a major factor here too.
Even so, climate is just one part of a more complex tale. Another key reason for the rise in destruction: The Philippines population keeps expanding in high-risk coastal areas. As the AP's Seth Borenstein reports, the city of Tacloban, which got hit hardest by Haiyan, has nearly tripled in population over the past four decades. Nearly 40 percent of the country now live in large, storm-prone coastal cities. Even if the typhoons weren't changing at all, many more people are now in harm's way.
Poverty and shoddy construction have also combined to make storms especially lethal. "About one-third of Tacloban's homes have wooden exterior walls," reports Borenstein. "And 1 in 7 homes have grass roofs, according to the census office." Even a weaker storm than Haiyan would have caused plenty of havoc. The DENR also notes that the deforestation of mangroves has removed a natural barrier that can blunt the impact of storms.
What's more, as my colleague Max Fisher reports, extremely poor infrastructure and a weak central government has hindered the disaster response in the Philippines. Only 22 percent of the nation's roads are paved. Aid workers have struggled to reach the affected areas. The list goes on.
2) Typhoons aren't the only natural disaster the Philippines has to worry about. This map from the DENR shows just how many different climate-related risks the Philippines could face in the years ahead:
There's no simple story here: The northern parts of the country could see more intense rainfall events. The central Luzon area could face a higher risk of typhoons, as the oceans heat up, increasing the "speed limit" for storms. Meanwhile, western Mindanano could face greater risk of drought due to both rising temperatures and El Niño events.
Add it all up, the U.N. ranks the Philippines as the third-most vulnerable country in the world to climate change, thanks to a combination of natural exposure and poverty. "Owing to their proximity to the sea," a recent report notes, "island states are particularly exposed to the natural hazards of cyclones, flooding and sea level rise."
But the precise risks are often difficult to pinpoint — and that makes preparation even harder. Many climate models still have trouble making predictions at a very fine-grained, regional level. And typhoons are especially difficult to forecast: While the IPCC thinks it's "likely" that tropical cyclones will get stronger as the oceans warm, it's less clear how the frequency of storms will change in the years ahead (they may become less frequent).
3) Adaptation can help, but it's not always enough. Many countries have managed to reduce their exposure to natural disasters over the years by implementing detailed adaptation plans. If climate change does increase the risk of natural disasters in the years ahead, then those plans will become increasingly important.
Bangladesh, for instance, has steadily reduced the number of deaths from tropical cyclones since the 1970s through early-warning systems, shelters and evacuation plans, and building coastal embankments.
India has also stepped up its defenses: In 1999, a cyclone hit the state of Odisha and killed 10,000 people (see map). This year, a similar-sized cyclone, Phailin, hit the same region — but only 44 people died. There were a lot of reasons for that, but some credit goes to improved weather forecasting and a mass evacuation plan that moved nearly 1 million people to safety before the storm hit.
The Philippines, for its part, is still struggling with disaster preparation and response. Early reports suggest that early storm warnings didn't reach everyone in afflicted areas such as Tacloban. And the hard-hit city was wholly unprepared for a massive storm surge. (See more from my colleague Jason Samenow on why the Philippines needs to take these surges more seriously.)
But it's also worth noting that even better preparation and infrastructure isn't always a panacea — particularly in the face of especially large storms. Many of those who did receive warnings before Haiyan hit simply had nowhere to go, thanks to the nation's far-flung island geography. What's more, hours before Haiyan hit, Philippine authorities managed to move 800,000 people to sturdier evacuation centers — churches or schools. Yet many of those structures couldn't withstand the storm's ferocity.
“Sometimes, no matter how much and how carefully you prepare, the disaster is just too big,” Zhang Qiang, an expert on disaster mitigation at Beijing Normal University, told the AP.
4) Where will the money come from for adaptation? There are two key questions that always come up at international climate talks like the one now going on in Warsaw. First, how will the world cut its carbon emissions to slow global warming? And second, where will the money come from to help poorer states prepare for its effects? The second question is likely to get more attention in the wake of Haiyan.
Consider, again, the Philippines. The country's officials estimate that each typhoon season already knocks about 2 percent off GDP each year — basic reconstruction is already a struggle, let alone building infrastructure to prepare for worse disasters in the future. The Philippines' stated position is that wealthy countries should pitch in to help with the latter.
This is always a contentious issue in global talks. Developing countries like the Philippines argue that the big emitters should help pay for climate adaptation — after all, nations such as the United States and Europe and China were the ones who put all that carbon in the atmosphere. (The United States is already sending emergency aid in the wake of Haiyan, $20 million so far, as is Britain and Australia, but this is usually considered a separate conversation.)
Wealthier nations, for their part, often argue that it's difficult to disentangle how much, exactly, they owe here. After all, as we've seen above, the devastation from Haiyan is only partly due to climate change. Things like poor construction and shoddy infrastructure played a major role here. How do you separate out all those responsibilities? How do you assess blame for climate change specifically?
Those debates have often bogged down climate talks — and even when differences do get resolved, the money isn't always forthcoming. Back in 2009, the world's developed countries pledged $30 billion in climate aid, which would rise over time. But a recent report from Oxfam found that most developed countries have yet to make any concrete plans to follow through.
"We have received no climate finance to adapt or to prepare ourselves for typhoons and other extreme weather we are now experiencing," Saño told the Guardian. "It cannot be a way of life that we end up running always from storms."
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To read more and view pics, click http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/11/12/what-the-deadly-typhoon-in-the-philippines-tells-us-about-climate-adaptation/ (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/11/12/what-the-deadly-typhoon-in-the-philippines-tells-us-about-climate-adaptation/)