“HOW’s the weather today?”
This is a common conversation topic in America. But here in the Philippines, we hardly seem to talk about it, unless there is a typhoon or heavy rainfall. Although the weather is usually the subject of small talk, the reality is that meteorology has far-reaching consequences in our daily lives.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), we experience an average of 20 typhoons annually, in addition to the rains brought about by the monsoon. We are also in the middle of an El Niño event, informally known as a “Super El Niño” for its unprecedented strength.
There is no need to panic when we hear “habagat” and “El Niño” in the news and on social media. By understanding these terms involving climate phenomena, we can better prepare for natural hazards through informed decision-making and proactive preparation.
Understanding the terms
Before delving any further, we must understand the meanings of different terms. Weather and climate both refer to the atmospheric conditions of a specific area. The former is for the short term, spanning from hours to months. Meanwhile, the latter covers years to decades.
Habagat is not a typhoon. Rather, it is a seasonal wind system that brings heavy rainfall to the western Philippines from June to October. On the other hand, El Niño is a climate phenomenon where the eastern Pacific Ocean becomes warmer than average. This results in reduced rainfall and drier conditions for our country.
The relationship between El Niño and habagat
If El Niño is supposed to result in drier conditions, why is there continuous, heavy rainfall? That’s because it doesn’t negate the rainfall brought about by habagat.
We can think of the weather as a complex machine with many moving parts. Although El Niño and habagat are two separate cogs, they can have compounding effects, which is exactly what we are experiencing in Metro Manila and nearby regions.
Rain is scarce during El Niño. But when it rains, it really pours. Flooding is worse because the land is not ready: baked soil repels water; crusting prevents deep penetration; and dead plants do not absorb water. And once habagat ends, we will experience the full drought brought about by El Niño, which will continue until next year.
More than just a weather problem
The confluence of El Niño and habagat further emphasizes our country’s vulnerability to natural hazards. To properly prepare for a wide variety of risks, we must realize that climate concerns affect every sector of society.
Businesses are disrupted when employees cannot go to work due to flooding or severe heat. Water supply becomes scarce when there is little to no rainfall. The economy suffers when agriculture and other industries incur severe losses due to climate hazards.
Sustainability and resilience are no longer abstract buzzwords when our everyday lives are at risk. However, risk does not necessarily spell disaster. The former is only the potential for the latter, when there is hazard, exposure, and vulnerability.
Recommendations for El Niño and habagat
In the case of habagat and El Niño, we must simultaneously prepare for heavy rain and drought. We at Palafox practice ridge-to-reef planning where we address natural hazards from the top of the mountains to the highlands, midlands, lowlands and coastline.
I have been sharing countless recommendations as early as the 1970s, when I was the team leader and senior planner of the MMetroplan (Metro Manila Transport, Land Use, and Development Project), and up to this day with my 250 recommendations to the presidents. Allow me to share some of them.
The Parañaque Spillway was designed to complement the Manggahan Floodway by diverting excess water from Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. In addition to acting as flood control, this could also act as water resource management through the retention of stormwater in reservoirs and basins. Individual structures, such as houses and buildings, must also invest in rainwater harvesting to secure water supply for shortages.
Open spaces with trees, vegetation and bioswales simultaneously address air pollution, flooding and heat waves by acting as the lungs of the city. They absorb surface water and naturally counteract the urban heat island effect, where concrete traps the heat from the sun, while improving the air quality and biodiversity within a city.
A network of covered walkways, especially around transit hubs and within central business districts, will help people remain mobile by protecting them against rain and harsh sunlight. Companies must also consider flexible work arrangements, such as hybrid or remote work, to ensure business continuity amid inclement weather.
Preparing for storms to come
While habagat and El Niño are currently the most pressing concerns, they are not the only climate matters we should be ready to address. The deeper question we have to ask ourselves is this: How do we prepare for the unpreparable, when conditions turn topsy-turvy in ways we’d never imagine?
I always say, “It is 90 percent less expensive to address hazards before they become disasters, in addition to saving lives, property, livelihood, and infrastructure.” That is why good planning, design, architecture, and engineering are crucial in building resilience.
‘Weather-weather’
The hazards we fail to address today will become the disasters of the future.
Although habagat and El Niño are separate events, we cannot address them individually because we experience their effects simultaneously within our country. That is the complex nature of climate phenomena, which is why we must be proactive in our preparation to address the inevitable risks and hazards.
Like it or not, the effects of the weather are inescapable for everyone, regardless of who you are. We all feel the temperature and humidity of the air, the heat from the sun, and the pouring rain.
When we consider that meteorology is a very much felt experience that we cannot divorce from our reality, this gives a deeper perspective on the famous words of Kuya Kim, “Ang buhay ay weather-weather lang.”
