Towards a coastal economy
DISASTER
Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) are two sides of the same coin, but as it is now, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Climate Change Commission (CCC) are two separate agencies that should really work together as if they are conjugal twins.
Needless to say, natural disasters their long term sustainability. and climate changes have other It is against this backdrop that I effects on the economy of the affected am now trying to “invent” the concept areas, effects such as the damage to of building a “coastal economy”. In the local infrastructure and the loss simple terms, what that really means of livelihoods. Worse than that, these is making the coastal communities twin factors aggravate other local achieve the twin goals of reducing problems such as the incidences of the impacts of natural disasters, hunger and poverty, and the spread at the same time increasing their of diseases, as well as setbacks incomes by way of having several in local education and healthcare means of production that are disaster targets. proof and climate resilient, hopefully
Whether they like it or not, the that is. local communities that are affected Since the “coastal economy” is a by these twin problems have no difficult concept to explain, I would choice but to become multitasking, rather give actual examples of what for example they have to implement could be grown or planted, rather programs and projects that would than talk about abstract notions that reduce the impacts of the natural might sound rather vague. disasters, at the same time that they My first example is the planting would also have to implement other or replanting of coconuts, a species programs and projects that would of trees in the palm family that grows increase their local food production very well in the coastal areas, because and ensure their supply of water. it is actually very well adapted to salt
Aside from their supply of water, water and highly saline soils. they would also have to ensure their Botanically, the fruit of the supply of power, more so if they coconut tree is a drupe and is not a are off the power grid, or if their nut. Some would even say that the connections to the power grid have fruit is more of a berry than a nut. In been destroyed by the disasters that that connection, others would also have hit their localities. say that the fruit of a strawberry is
For sure, there are many ways of actually not a berry, but a nut. Just solving their problems, but among like the coconut tree, the “talisay” other solutions, I believe that the trees that are often the neighbors most practical solution for them is of coconut trees are actually sea to improve their own local economy, almonds that are true nuts. with the end goal of not only achieving or is another species their short term productivity, but also of trees in the palm family that is
Nipa Nypa
called the “mangrove palm”, not so much because it is true mangrove, but because it is found in the same areas where mangroves are found, in the same saline or brackish swamps and swampy environments.
In the sense that the “talisay” trees are the natural neighbors of coconut trees, the trees are also the natural neighbors of mangrove trees.
nipa Wherever mangrove trees are found, planktons would also grow and where there are planktons, the fish would also breed and grow, together with shrimps and crabs.
It is said that wherever smaller fish are found, the bigger fish “butanding” ( whale shark) would also come to feed, and so the cycle continues.
or (breadfruit) is now almost practically forgotten as a local
Kolo rimas food source is. It is a species of trees that is closely related to jackfruit. Along with ( yam), breadfruit is said to be the fruit that enabled
ube shipwrecked sailors in the Pacific