Training on mitigating coastal disasters set

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Swedish International Cooperation Agency (SIDA) will hold in the Visayas two training programs on mitigating coastal disasters.

Called "Coastal resource hazards management training," the project aims to improve the knowledge and skills of local government units and relevant agencies and institutions involved in disaster management in coastal areas, and develop a localized contingency disaster management plan.

The training draws lessons the floods and landslides in Leyte, particularly in Ormoc in November 1991 and Brgy. Guinsaugon, St. Bernard on Feb. 17, 2005, where about 6,000 and 1,800 lives respectively, were claimed, and the recent oil spill in Guimaras Island, Iloilo.

The Guinsaugon mudslide and Guimaras oil spill provide the setting for natural and man-made disasters, respectively. Hence, one training batch each with a five-day duration will be conducted in the said municipalities this month.

Incidentally, oil spill is now a worldwide concern. In fact, there will be an international gathering, the Oil Spill Conference and Exhibition to be held in Kuwait on May 12-14, 2007, the subject of which is managing oil spill using remote sensing and global information system (GIS) tools. – Benny Enriquez