“Killer floods linked to destruction of ecosystem”

AFP report in PDI, August 20, A23

“When there is any big flooding it’s become commonplace for climate change to be blamed when in fact many of the problems are fixable at the local level,” Red Constantino, Manila-based head of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, said.

Constantino, according to the report, said that it is becoming convenient for Asian leaders to use climate change as an excuse for natural disasters.

According to the report, environment experts say that “the destruction of ecosystem is more directly to blame for the severity of the killer floods.” Poor waste management, rapid urbanization, improper/faulty land use, and deforestation are some of the human factors which contribute to the destruction of ecosystem and magnify the disasters.