Greenbelts and green lanes

By Jose Rene C. Gayo

THE AFTERMATH of the habagat that spawned torrential rains in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces from Aug. 6 to 8: It is said to be worse than the effects of tropical storm Ondoy. Do we just have to live with the wrath of nature or is there something we can do to at least minimize the damage from such calamities?

Definitely, there is very little we can do now with climate change but we need to act to at least mitigate its effects on our daily lives or adapt to it. Partly, the damage of the recent flooding can be attributed to neglect of government, like the failure to dredge the Marikina and San Juan rivers and Laguna de Bay even after Ondoy or the failure of MMDA personnel to store up enough diesel fuel to keep the pumps running to drain out flood waters. A big part of the problem is the lack of a long-term solution to the decades-old flooding problem in Metro Manila. The CAMANAVA flood control project seems to be a failure. Government people seem to be taking their sweet time to act on the solutions. There is just so much talk but very little action.

Our renowned architect and urban planner Felino "Jun" Falafox, Jr. and other international bodies like the World Bank, over and over again, have suggested a list of "83 things to do" to solve this problem years ago. Yet, as of today, little has been done about it.

A NEW PROBLEM

One problem that we have to contend with and probably not taken into account before is the phenomenon of storm surges that we have seen since last year in Metro Manila and surrounding areas along Manila Bay. The storm surges may be to blame partly for the high flood waters that we have seen in Pampanga, Bulacan, Bataan, and of late Cavite. It has been reported that waves of several meters high pounded our shoreline, including the concrete wall along Roxas Boulevard. Surely, this must have also been the case in Malabon, Navotas, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Bataan.

Unfortunately, for these places, there are neither concrete dikes nor mangrove forests to protect them. So flood waters were not just coming from the mountain, these were also coming from the sea. So those low lying areas found themselves squeezed by water coming from both sides. Result? Massive floods that will take weeks or months to drain off.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION

Since we cannot afford to build concrete seawall like the one we see in front of the Mall of Asia all around Manila Bay, one possible solution is to build a greenbelt. This means planting mangroves along the shores stretching from Ternate (Cavite), Bulacan, Pampanga, all the way to Limay (Bataan). Today, one can just find small patches of mangroves along this shoreline that stretches for about 130 kilometers.

The mangrove forests that will grow out of this greenbelt will have other benefits other than serving as the first line of defence against tsunamis and storm surges. They also serve as breeding grounds for fish and crustaceans and thereby increasing food supply for Metro Manila and surrounding provinces. They host wildlife like birds, bees, butterflies, fireflies, and many others that will contribute to biodiversity and conservation of these species. They filter pollution coming from factories and sewerage. They also serve as carbon sinks that capture carbon dioxide from the fumes of cars and factories.

A similar greenbelt can be created around Laguna de Bay. The plan to dredge the lake must now be done to increase its water carrying capacity. Soil and silt that will be removed should be used to construct a 200-kilometer highway around the lake. This way, it will also solve the perennial traffic problem along the lake towns and cities of Metro Manila, Laguna, and Rizal. Trees and bamboos should be planted 20 meters deep on both sides of the highway.

The government must also enforce strictly the easements of rivers and waterways by getting rid of the squatters and structures in these areas. Along the easements, trees, bamboos, and reeds can be planted to control erosion and serve as carbon sinks. These green lanes will then serve as leisure areas for jogging, biking, and walking by providing pathways for such purposes. Some parts of these green lanes may be devoted to the production of fruits and vegetables to provide fresh produce to urban consumers. These "gardens" can be awarded to the urban poor as an alternative source of livelihood.

If the greenbelt and green lanes project shall be pursued in earnest in the areas indicated, I think this will create several thousands of hectares of new forests plus the thousands that shall be employed to establish and maintain these through the years.

POLITICAL WILL NEEDED

Since the government has very poor track record in such projects, P-Noy should tap the private sector. One possible scheme is to open up these projects to private forest developers by awarding them 50-year land concessions with option for renewal for 49 years, credit facilities, and tax incentives. Carbon credit trading should also be facilitated as sources of income for forest developers in these greenbelts and green lanes. "Payments for Environmental Services" should also be given to provide regular source of income to these forest developers since they do provide a service to the public. These forest developers should also engage the unemployed in these areas as laborers or sub-contractors for the planting and maintenance of trees. This way, they become stakeholders in the project.

I hope that P-Noy muster the strength to see this through during his term. As the saying goes "kung gusto, maraming paraan, kung ayaw, maraming dahilan." I hope he will add this now to his now famous line "kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap." With the President’s example, our governors and mayors will also follow.

( The author is vice-chairman of the MAP agribusiness and countryside development committee, and dean of the MFI Farm Business School. Feedback at map@globelines.com.ph. For previous articles, please visitwww.map.org.ph)