MANILA, Philippines—A non-government organization (NGO) is calling on government to recognize the “real and present danger” posed by climate change to coastal communities on Earth Day which is being celebrated today.
The Tambuyog Development Center, an NGO that assists coastal municipalities in drafting local Fisheries Code and Coastal Resource Management Plans, is calling the attention of various government agencies to fast track responses to climate change challenges.
Tambuyog specified the assistance of the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Interior and Local Government.
During its Earth Day event, Dinna Umengan, lead campaigner of the group, said Tambuyog was primarily concerned with the impact of climate change on coastal and marine natural resources that have a direct bearing on the food security and livelihood of millions of people in coastal communities.
Umengan added that there are inconsistencies on the part of the government in prioritizing coastal development programs and projects and investments should be scrutinized in the light of the real situations in the coastal areas where much of these human induced hazards have brought great disasters to coastal people and natural resources in the past.
Meanwhile, hundreds of fishermen belonging to Kilusang Mangingisda, a national coalition of small fishermen federations, marched and picketed the DA-BFAR and DENR offices during Earth Day to highlight the dangers they are continuously facing from natural and human-induced hazards.
The group called on these agencies to act immediately by stopping all unregulated coastal reclamation, mining and quarrying, mangrove conversion, irresponsible aquaculture in brackishwater and marine areas that have been the cause of livelihood displacement to thousands of fishing families and greatly contributed to the depletion of natural coastal resources of this country.
Climate change is a phenomenon in nature that is largely induced by human activities. The impacts of climate change are often worsened by the social and environmental costs of human productive or economic activities.
Coastal quarrying and mining cause siltation and soil erosion which could damage corals and other marine resources aside from its effect on the coastal physical structures.
Trawl fishing degrades corals and in so doing, increases the possibility of coral bleaching due to rising sea temperature. For coastal communities, the loss of corals means less food fish and loss of barrier protection from high waves.
Similarly, the cutting of mangrove forests to develop fishponds deprives coastal communities of mangroves as source of food fish and their protection from rising seas and typhoons, as extreme weather phenomena are predicted to become more common due to climate change.
Tambuyog specifically proposes that current programs, projects and investments in coastal area development should be reviewed and ordered to discontinue their operations if found to be endangering the communities.
Second, immediately set up a social and environmental insurance and protection fund for the most vulnerable coastal communities to climate and human-induced hazards.
Studies show that most of the municipalities in the Eastern seaboard or the Pacific Ocean side of the country are in great danger.
Third, existing management plans for the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, coastal zones and watersheds need to be further developed to ensure they cover potential climate change impacts, mitigations and adaptation responses.
And fourth, support all LGUs’efforts and community organizations initiatives in addressing climate change and allocate budget to increase their capacity for adaptation.
April 24th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
I looked up this NGO, but could not find how individuals or organizations can contribute to this project. Do you have any information on that? Thank you.