TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – In order to minimize the effects of climate change in the country, President Benigno S. Aquino III declared that the Philippine government is now eyeing for “ecological re-engineering,” following the destruction super-typhoon Yolanda brought to the country.
In an interview, Aquino told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that it is an “accepted reality for the Filipino community that global climate change is indeed happening and it need not be debated.”
Thus, he said that they are seeing ecological re-engineering as one of the “best scientific methods” that is available for vulnerable countries to cope with the climate change. It is an emerging study of integrating ecology and engineering, concerned with the design, monitoring, and construction of ecosystems.
Climate change wreaks havoc on agriculture affecting the farmers’ planting season and many couldn’t adjust to these changes, he added.
As the Philippines grapples to rebuild in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda, the President told CNN that his administration will have to plan its communities to make them more resilient to all the ravages of nature in the future.
“There will be ecological reengineering like planting mangroves as a defense against tsunamis, and investments in the sciences, particularly the way the country’s weather bureau gather and analyze data,” he said.
One of the major components is the ongoing geohazard mapping being done by the government to make communities safe.
The President also acknowledged that the real challenge after the relief efforts done is rebuilding the houses of tens of thousands of families affected by the typhoon.
The construction of these new houses has to be better to withstand the ravages of nature, he said.
The government will also later map areas prone to storm surges to protect the vast majority of people, the President ended. With reports from PIA-IVA
