Deputy Speaker and Antique Congresswoman Loren Legarda urged for the plantation of mangroves as a safeguard against storm surges, flooding, erosion, and other climate hazards.
The Antique Congresswoman said that mangroves have effectively protected some of the vulnerable communities, lowering the storm surge, and dampening the waves within the first few hundred meters of forest. She also added that it can play a critical role in reducing floods and storm surges, including preventing them from damaging properties.
“We need to work with and alongside natural processes. Nature-based solutions, such as planting mangrove greenbelts, are right in front of us and have been very effective in preventing further loss and damage. Our development plans should support a more extensive planting and rehabilitation of mangroves and recognize them as a fundamental part of the local economy in growing fish population and biodiversity, capturing carbon, and providing forest products and recreation,” Legarda emphasized.
Legarda called the Climate Change Commission, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and other national and local government agencies to solidify the “Building With Nature” approach in case a natural climate crisis occurs.
According to Legarda, during the time of Typhoon Odette which brought a disastrous surge in the Visayas region, some of its municipalities especially the Del Carmen in Siargao were protected and spared from the surge because the said municipality has 4,871 hectares of mangroves.
She also recalled the incident of Typhoon Yolanda back in 2013 that the Barangay Parina in Giporlos, Eastern Samar was also saved by the nine hectares of mangrove forests and considered as the protective cover when there’s a storm surge coming.
Although Legarda pushed it back in 2016 when she was still a senator, there should be a comprehensive and integrated policy about mangroves that could benefit nature-based to protect the vulnerable communities from the impact of the natural climate crisis.
“We need to invest in nature’s solutions. Integrated coastal zone management will help address the root causes of coastal vulnerability. We need to involve local communities and stakeholder groups in both the design and implementation of zoning plans and management plans. We must provide incentives to the community to act as local custodians of the mangrove forests, or offer climate-resilient livelihoods linked to the management of the greenbelt,” Legarda said.
Photo Credit: Facebook/iamlorenlegarda