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Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Severino: There are more lowland trees than in the uplands
By Gil Alfredo Severino
Think economics
THE Provincial Environment Week had passed and what was its message? The words "reforestation" and "desertification" were included in its theme.
Perhaps, this has something to do with the United Nations' declaration of June 17 as "World Day to Combat Desertification".
With our penchant for imitative sloganeering, perhaps, this U.N. declaration should be the semantic source. To observe Environment Week, programs are the usual tree planting ceremonies or festivities.
No policy statements or direction from the Governor's Office or any LGU or local DENR is heard the past week. Here in Bacolod, we have a superb urban Environment Code authored by Councilor Lyndon Caña who, incidentally, is so interested in the BREDCO issue, and failed to pressure Mayor Bing Leonardia to set up a waste management system, clean up dead rivers, control motor and industrial emissions, improve coastline marine water system, invest in potable water, clean up sewerage systems and other urban pollution-free intensification drive. This may
not be surprising at all.
One hundred nineteen countries have signed and committed to the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification conscious of the fact that one-third of the world's dry land ecosystems are now degraded, uninhabitable or vulnerable to exploitation and land mismanagement.
In chorus, these countries are shouting "politicking". Dry land ecosystems are now destroyed because people make "hot" money out of it.
What does the Provincial Government doing in massively educating the Negrenses? What can reforestation do to eliminate desertification? My space is limited but
there is a need to explain reforestation and desertification as the U.N. intention is African-based.
Here in the Philippines, rapid deforestation or cutting forest trees is the fastest in East Asia.
Environment Economists estimated "useful" forest cover at critical level of 20%. These are studies in the late 90s and therefore do not be surprise of sudden erratic volcanic emissions or freak typhoons.
Other Asian countries are extremely mindful of "green accounting"; they knew environmental neglect means death. In the Philippines, our political leaders are so anxious of their pork barrels, the President is in Europe proud of her death penalty gift to the Pope, the national DENR and national DAR are so defensive in admitting corruption and mismanagement, nobody seems to remember the Ormoc tragedy.
It is even more difficult here in Negros. The Provincial Government did not come up with data-based indicators in mapping the extent of dry land ecosystem degradation caused by poverty. Perhaps, our Provincial Government finds it complicated to put up a poverty profile. Instead, we have reports of charcoal making industry usurping and exploiting our forest cover.
Local DENR, local DAR and Mayors are reported to be blaming one another in criminalizing hundreds of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries engaged in charcoal making, not to mention reports that these government officials are conspiring with charcoal profiteering.
Drive around Negros hinterlands, from the highway panorama, there are more trees in the lowland areas than in the upland areas! Goodness, who is going to combat these? Reaching Sipalay and vicinities, incumbent political leaders there are so proud of beaches and sceneries. Can they hide mining related destructions?
Already, we have experienced flash flooding in the not so distant past; with less than the desirable forest, who will not? Flooding destroys land fertility and productivity, exacerbating poverty even more, increasing forest exploiting population -- leading Negros to more flashfloods, soon mudslides that will claim lives. What are the LGUs doing, tree planting?
For questions and comments, please e-mail gil_severino@yahoo.com
(June 28, 2006 issue)
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