With 33 major incidents affecting 12.5 percent of the population, the Philippines topped the 2011 disaster league in a list drawn up by the United Nations. The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction said tropical storm “Sendong,” which claimed over 1,430 lives after it struck Mindanao in mid-December, was the second deadliest natural disaster in a year that saw Japan devastated by a powerful earthquake and tsunami.
Following the Philippines on the UN list are China, the United States, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Guatemala, Japan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Peru, Thailand and Vietnam. No country is safe from natural disasters, but some are more vulnerable to certain types of catastrophes. Climate change has also seen extreme weather disturbances strike in unexpected places. Governments have rushed to improve their preparedness for disasters. The Philippines should do the same. But the country’s efforts to improve disaster preparedness still leave much to be desired.
After “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” devastated Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon, disaster mitigation should have been given priority, including measures to stop the denudation of watersheds. The destruction brought by Sendong showed the inadequacy of the response to the threats posed by natural calamities. Even evacuation procedures and facilities were found to be acutely lacking in the areas devastated by the landslides and floods spawned by the storm.
The affected areas are recovering, and the summer months are likely to make the threat of torrential rains and massive flooding seem remote. The government must remember that the best time to prepare for disaster is when good weather prevails. If the Philippines is at the top in the world’s disaster league, the country should be among the best prepared for dealing with the worst calamities.