Back in college, Dr. Macario Tiu (T-Mac), had commented on Davao City's earlier landscape during the time of the Americans. It was literally a swampy jungle.
Fast forward to today and we are experiencing freak floods. In my case, the street outside our house now features ankle-length water after just several minutes of strong rain.There are also cases in recent history where rivers overflow and jeepneys get bogged down while traversing flooded downtown roads.
As many citizens point out, the problem has to do with the city's drainage system. Many note that the city government should build even wider and bigger canals to accommodate the increasing rainwater runoff. Some also suggest more frequent maintenance works to rid our existing drainage pipes of accumulated trash and debris.
While most blame the government, I blame instead the prevalent practice of laying down concrete over greater swaths of city land. Look around you and see that what was once a vast wetland is now a desert of buildings, asphalt roads, and parking lots.
I think the practice has something to do with a failure in assessment: we failed to assess the impact of concrete vis-a-vis our local ecology and weather. In other words, we did not put a cost to how we use concrete to cover our soil.
I like to highlight two important features of soil as it applies to drainage and heat management. First, soil absorbs rainwater. Lots of it. What otherwise is wasted runoff is absorbed by the soil and retained for future use. Second, soil is obviously essential for vegetation and plants are critical to managing surface temperatures. The more and the bigger plants you have in a certain area, the cooler that area gets.
Our urban planners did not account for this. More specifically, we did not put a price tag every time a builder paves an area or converts land into sitting buildings. We did not put a price tag on the loss of rainwater retention and the subsequent build-up of an urban heat island every time concrete is laid on terra firma. We surmised that what was needed was more elaborate drainage solutions and air conditioning.
I hope that, soon, the practice of laying down concrete over soil shall be mitigated by various measures. Government shall impose building requirements to compensate for the loss of absorbent soil such as green roofs, rainwater capture systems, or the provision of swales in heavily congested neighborhoods.
By then, I hope we will be wiser in dealing with our self-imposed issues.
Check this site out: http://www.treepeople.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment