Philippines: As Philippines observes the National Disaster Consciousness Month in July, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has called on all local government units (LGUs) to revisit the geohazard maps distributed by the national government and use them as guide for disaster preparedness.
Environment Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje said the LGUs should take a look at the geohazard maps prepared by the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and take note of areas declared as highly susceptible for flooding and landslide, especially now that the rainy season has begun.
The environment chief said the LGUs can use the maps as guide for strategic decisions such as those on land zoning and in determining sites for relocation and communities during natural disasters. The MGB has already completed and distributed some 85,000 copies of geohazard maps showing landslide and flood-prone areas on a scale of 1:50,000 to LGUs nationwide.
A more detailed mapping of cities and municipalities, at a scale of 1:10,000, is to be completed within the year, while the three-dimensional (3D) version is also already in the pipeline.
Source: DENR
