THE Group of Environmental Socialists (Goes) is asking the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to act on the issues affecting Negros forests.
The group made the call in line with the ongoing celebration of the National Disaster Resilience Month themed "Sambayanang Pilipino, Nagkakaisa tungo sa Katatagan at Maunlad na Kinabukasan."
For the group, the activity highlights the unified efforts of all sectors and communities toward sustainable development.
"The group has been consistent in calling the DENR to act against illegal structures which continue to create irreversible damage inside the protected area," it said in a press statement Sunday, July 10.
Related to this, Goes said, the best recent example is how the flash floods in Northern Negros Natural Park (NNNP) affected the forest area.
This is a common cause of how illegal structures have replaced natural resources in the mountains, it said.
Goes said the DENR should uphold the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 which pushes for the protection of our terrestrial ecosystem.
"We found out that the Certificate of Stewardship Contract of the Tenured Migrants inside NNNP was canceled by the DENR. Yet, there were no acts of demolition to the structures claimed to be illegally owned by environmental violators," it said.
The environment group also claimed that "they [DENR] facilitated the application for the Special Authority for Protected Area (Sapa) with the violating individuals while neglecting the rights of the tenured migrants or locals inside the protected area."
They added that the abuse of power leads to an injustice to the ecosystem as well as an insult to the rights of the community and to its intellectual capacity.
"The Sapa should be abolished," Goes stressed, adding that while the "One Lens for Resilience: Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction" aim to educate the majority, it also states that climate change and natural disasters as social constructs which are therefore due to man-made effects.
Thus, the focal point in addressing the impact is to continuously cooperate with the people, which is us, the group also said.
Goes said a consistency to promote what is better for the common good leads to the shift of paradigm on policy, programs, and actions.
For the group, paradigm-shifting entails that we need to recognize and transform our current practices and lifestyle which contributes to unsustainable development.
"We know that climate change is inevitable and it will come to us in greater bounds than before. A long-span drought can become possible and frequent, stronger typhoons and floods may arise. Thus, we need to mitigate the possible risk and hazards by protecting our natural parks," it said.
Goes said that climate mitigation means reducing carbon emissions and increasing carbon sink and sequestration.
It means changing people's lifestyles by reducing carbon footprints and planting more trees and demolishing illegal structures, the group said.
It also means the commitment of the government to be decisive by taking drastic measures in carbon emission reduction for long-term effects, they added.
Moreover, Goes underscored that the Climate Adaptation/Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) reflects on building resilient communities as a means to strengthen the foundation of safety in our society.
By learning how to respond to the hydro-meteorological hazards caused by climate change and human-induced hazards, a call for a unified National Adaptation Plan for Action (Napa) and Strategic National Action Program (Snap) is preferred, it said.
The core is to take action to strengthen systems and structures to be prepared for any danger coupled with appropriate prevention and mitigation measures at the community level.
"We are calling to proactively uphold consistent empowerment to the human rights as a whole to build a foundation of safety," it said, adding that "we heed at providing adequate basic services addressing the basic needs of individuals who are mostly at risk and building hazard-specific knowledge, attitude, and skills for survivability and enhancing the livelihood and well-being of the people towards resilience."
For Goes, enhancing and protecting the ecosystem lead toward sustainable usage and benefits for all.
"As a species with other lifeforms, we will be evolving through time and find ways to survive and bounce back from any misfortunes," it said.
"Our action points lead to a true shift by focusing on changing the mindset from economic cost-benefit analysis toward a strong sense of moral obligation not only to cut carbon emissions but also to address the root causes of disaster risks," it added. (With PR)