Dagupan in a water world

By Leonardo Micua

A research study by the science organization Climate Central, published in many journals of the world (and readily available on the internet) gives us an impending bizarre scenario of what could happen to the planet in the next 30 years due to the impact of climate change.   

The research bluntly stated that 150 million people could potentially be displaced by 2050, or up to 300 million by the end of the century if climate change is not mitigated. The number could even rise to 480 million by 2100. (Of course, this is no longer in our lifetime.)

The study claimed that more than 70 percent of the total number of people that could be potentially affected would come from eight Asian countries: China, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Japan.

The Philippines, an archipelago, was identified as one of the most vulnerable areas to flooding caused by the continuing rise of sea level. If not mitigated scientifically, Dagupan will surely end up as water world and the next generations of Dagupenos would be probably living on houses resting on stilts.  

Did the Dagupan Flood Mitigation Commission even consider this research that in three decades, the Philippines could find many of its coastal areas, including those surrounding the Manila Bay–and also Dagupan– underwater due to the adverse effects of climate change?

I wonder if the FMC included a scientist as among its members as the flooding problem in Dagupan I think needs not only an engineering solution but also a scientific solution.

The study should guide our planners and officials on what more effective measures can be adopted to at least reduce the impact of climate change upon the succeeding generations of Filipinos (particularly Dagupeños).   

What happened in Venice, Italy, a canal city by the Adriatic sea, about two weeks ago, according to an article is but the latest warning of the severe threat of rising seas due to climate change.

It was reported that it was only the sixth time in 1,200 years when high tide penetrated St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, and incidentally four of these flooding happened in the last 20 years.

What’s happening to our planet?

Mind you, after the July 1990 earthquake, the sea water had been overflowing in various low-lying areas of the city resulting in backflow to drainage canals eventually finding its way to many residential homes and commercial areas during every rainy season because of the rise of tidal water from the Pantal River.

I hope the FMC will not wait 10 years to address this. It has to be done urgently.

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We recall a statement of Joe Estrada, senior meteorologist of PAGASA Dagupan, that the very rare December strong typhoon Tisoy that barreled through the Bicolandia last week is a classic example of the effect of climate change.

Responding to our question during the Talakayan sa Kapitolyo, Mr. Estrada said that in many past years, typhoons that hit the archipelago during the months of December were weak and never exacted much damages.

But typhoon Tisoy, that came at a time when the Southeast Asian Games was being played in the Philippines, had the gale force of a super typhoon very much akin to Yolanda that brought Tacloban, Leyte down to its knees a few years ago.

Dagupan and Pangasinan were spared by Tisoy but there was a time the wind signal in Pangasinan was raised to No. 2.

Mr. Pagasa Joe Estrada said one or two more typhoons will hit the country before the year ends but probably weaker than Tisoy.

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We heard that the barangay captains of Dagupan headed by Liga ng mga Barangay president Lino Fernandez held their Christmas Party in a swanky resort in Bauang, La Union Thursday night. Let’s drink to that!

I hope not a single centavo of public fund was used in the get-together activity among our village chiefs. That is a big a NO-NO to the Commission on Audit. 

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