LOCAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT

LOCAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT It seems that what is normal now is to have a disaster, and what is not normal is not to have a disaster. Since that is now the new reality, the government agencies concerned should have a change of paradigm, such that these agencies should always be ready all the time, on the assumption that disasters could always happen all the time. In the case of natural and manmade disasters, it should be mandatory for all LGUs to have their own geographic information system (GIS) that could also be used as a hazard map. Although GIS software for tax mapping is flexible enough to also be used for hazard mapping, some agencies are not aware of this. Although the terms are somehow synonymous, “disaster management” is broader than “disaster coordination”. In general, however, most of “disaster management” is focused on “disaster coordination”. And that means coordinating not only the public sector, but also the private sector. If any LGU needs a local GIS-based hazard map, they can contact me via email at iseneres@yahoo.com. It is okay if they have no budget to procure a GIS license, because there are free and open-source versions that are available. What is important is that they have the political will. If they already have a system, we can upgrade. IKE SENERES/5-8-24