Geohazards, Tropical Cyclones and Disaster Ris Management
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Journal of Environmental Science and Management 16(1) : 84-97 (June 2013) ISSN 0119-1144 *2 Climate change, involving both natural climate variability and anthropogenic global warming, has been a major worldwide concern, particularly with the publication of the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Considering the archipelagic nature of the Philippines and its being a very minor emitter of greenhouse gases, adaptation to climate change has been the Government’s national policy. The importance of expediting these climate change-related adaptation measures was highlighted by a string of geo-meteorological- 2009. We present the geologic conditions that rendered the affected areas, especially in northwestern Luzon, extremely vulnerable to the existent hazards, the meteorological conditions that set off the disaster and the different initiatives that the government and local communities have taken to further prepare the people for possible future disasters. Recognition of the pertinent issues and the extant challenges points to the urgent need for mainstreaming both geo-meteorological- related disaster risk management and climate change adaptation measures in the light of changing climate conditions. climate change adaptation, disaster risk management, geo-meteorological hazards, tropical cyclone, Luzon, Philippines Asian Development Bank (ADB) 2009Lagmay et al. 2006 Yumul et al. 2006 Benson, 2009; Dawe et al. 2009; Lyon et al. 2006; Yumul et al., 2009 Faustino-Eslava et al. 2011 Journal of Environmental Science and Management Volume 16 No. 1 (June 2013) Figure 1. Tectonic map of the Philippines that shows the between the Palawan Microcontinental Block Manila-Negros-Sulu-Cotabato Trench system at the west and the East Luzon Trough-Philippine Trench at the west. Aurelio 2000; Besana and Ando2005 ntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2007; Mann and Emmanuel 2006; United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 2008; Webster et al. 2005 Geohazards, Tropical Cyclones and DRRM in the Philippines Figure 2. a. Map showing the distribution of active volcanoes in the Philippines (shown by the white circles). Nine of these (shown by the black dots) are the most active with several eruptions in recorded history (Phivolcs 2008). b. Map of the major fault networks in Luzon (after Queaño 2006). Yumul 1994 Maleterre 1989; Wolfe 1981 Arribas et al. 1994; Sillitoe and Angeles 1985; Wolfe 1981 Balce et al. 1980 Imai 2001 Balce et al. 1980; United Nations Development Program (UNDP) 1987; Maleterre 1989; Peña 1992 Pinet 1990 Bellon and Peña and Reyes 1970; Tam et al. 2005; Yumul et al. 2008; Dimalanta et al. 2012 Balce et al. 1980 Journal of Environmental Science and Management Volume 16 No. 1 (June 2013) Figure 3. a. Elevation map of Luzon island. In Central Cordillera, peaks reach heights of up to ~3000 m. b. On the slope o (blue – slope <10o, green – slope between 10 and 30o, red – slope >10o). c. Blown up view of boxed area in Figures 3a and 3b. Pangasinan had numerous landslide occurrences due to the passage of Typhoon Parma. Gray-shaded areas are those that Figure 4. Comparative stratigraphic columns for Ilocos, Central Cordillera and Luzon Central Valley (west side) Geohazards, Tropical Cyclones and DRRM in the Philippines Dimalanta et al., 2012 NDCC 2009c NDCC Aurelio et al. 1991; Barrier et 2009d al. 1991 Pinet and Stephan 1990; Ringenbach et al. 1993; Louvenbruck 2003 Yumul et al. 2008 Journal of Environmental Science and Management Volume 16 No. 1 (June 2013) Figure 5 a. Track followed by Typhoon Parma whose erratic behavior caused it to landfall three times. It left the country after staying within the PAR for 10 days. b. MTSAT image received at the DOST-PAGASA station on October 10, 2009. It shows Typhoon Parma interacting with Melor. This interaction caused Parma to return and make its second landfall. Figure 6 a. Typhoon Parma brought an unusual amount of precipitation as indicated by measurements done in the PAGASA stations (each marked by a black star) in Luzon island. b. Rainfall data from the PAGASA stations are compared with the monthly climatological normals. From October 3 to 9, 2009, Baguio City recorded the highest amount of rainfall.