OBLIQUE OBSERVATIONS
By Atty. Gilberto Lauengco, J.D.
This past week, two things have messed up our normal life. The non-stop rain and this sudden weird smog that is enveloping our metro cities. The rain seems to be heavier this year. The smog apparently comes from fires in Indonesia. The fog apparently has made our air quality unsafe.
There is a tendency to think of smog and flooding as things beyond our control. When the skies turn gray, the air becomes thick with smog from another country and the streets disappear beneath floodwater, we often just shrug.
This fatalistic attitude misses the point. While we may not be able to control the weather, we can predict many of its consequences and substantially reduce the damage they cause. By we, I am referring to everyone both government, organizations and people in general.
Consider flooding. We cannot stop a typhoon or the monsoon from bringing torrential rain. We can, however, know when extreme rainfall is approaching. We can map flood prone areas. We can identify waterways that are likely to overflow. We can clear drainage systems before the rain comes. We can improve pumping capacity. We can restrict construction that would cause or exacerbate flooding.
The same principle applies to smog and poor air quality. Atmospheric conditions, industrial activity, weather forecasts, and unusual activities like the one that caused the fire in Indonesia can actually help us anticipate smog occurrence such as the one we have now. We can give early warnings and adjust our lives accordingly.
We have the technology to predict. We just need to use the tools. Mitigation and planning matters. The recent proposals for interconnected and planned catchment basins and other synergized flood control measures must be studied. Even with all the rain, Angat dam is still not at its maximum level. We have to be able to capitalize on this tremendous amount of rainfall lately. Perhaps, the proposal to set up a single agency to manage water needs attention too. The general public too must pitch in by keeping trash away from drainage systems and other measures.
We really need to get our acts together to enable ourselves not to be the proverbial tumbleweeds that are blown by so called forces beyond our control.
