Manila is Sinking

[jpdm]

Manila, the country's capital is sinking according to an expert.

What can we do about it?

Manila Standard
December 4, 2008

[SIZE=4]Experts: Manila is sinking[/SIZE]

MANILA, one of Asia’s most populous cities, is sinking and may go the way of Venice unless its people stop pumping ground water for bathing and other needs, experts have warned.



The phenomenon of subsidence, caused by the drying up of aquifers as a result of over-extraction of water, threatens not only Manila but also nearby areas that have also seen rapid migration and development, Fernando Siringan says.



The geologist from the Marine Science Institute at the University of the Philippines did not give the rate of sinking, saying only that the metropolis of 12 million people faced potential water and marine product shortages, flash floods, and even infrastructure damage.



“Originally, the Italians never planned to make Venice a city permanently submerged in seawater. It was built above water, on the valley of Italy,” Siringan said in an article posted on the Environment Department’s Web site.



“But because the Venetians were so much dependent on groundwater, the subsidence was tremendous; the place later became submerged in water. But the Venetians adapted very well, and so they did not destroy the structures of Venice.”



Ramon Alikpala, head of the government’s National Water Resources Board, says the subsidence problem is complicated by the fact that large areas of the city are actually below sea level.



“There is already saltwater intrusion in some parts of Metro Manila because of over-extraction and the lack of recharging of the aquifer,” he said.
Siringan is urging the government to enforce the 1979 water code that bars the drilling of water wells for commercial use.



The government should allow only a few wells operated by water utilities or the local governments, and develop reservoirs to minimize ecological damage, he says.



Manila should also harvest and store rainwater.



The Environment Department says many residential districts in southern Manila, as well as the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga, suffer from saltwater intrusion in the groundwater.


The water board says there are similar problems in many other Philippine cities.



“Many of our countrymen take water for granted,” Environment Secretary Joselito Atienza said.



“They are not aware that many areas in the country are experiencing water shortages because water supply sources are degraded.” AFP

[ab_initio]

polarization of the population greatly contributes to this phenomenon...this has been the problem since i came to know of Manila.

ang hirap kasi sa mga tao, nakipagsiksikan sa kalakhang maynila...tinawag tuloy silang squatters...bat ayaw nila bumalik dito sa probinsiya?

they could have at least learn the art of self-reliance...money is earned the hard way coz you need to toil and earn it from the sweat of your brow, but when you compare the cost of living in the province and manila, your money has a stronger purchasing power in the province...

what can we do about it?

haul (as in kung kailangan kaladkarin, kaladkarin niyo na) those idle, homeless probinsiyanos back to the province...place them in a resettlement site where they could start their lives by farming? equip the resettlement area with the basics, i.e. health centers, decent schools, good infra (farm to market roads), good water system, etc...rather than allowing them to lose their self respect in the jungle of manila...

but then again, with our present system???? i wonder how...

[tsupermario]

wag nang maligo

[donbuggy]

Once again, Singapore is two steps ahead of us. Note how they solved their flood problem through proper drainage infrastructure. Why can't Filipinos do the same?

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking...ry_278853.html

Sep 15, 2008
[SIZE=3]S'pore ready for rising seas [/SIZE]
By Jeremy Au Yong

ENVIRONMENT and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim has revealed some preliminary findings of a two-year government study on the impact of climate change.

The good news: Singapore is well placed to deal with the threat of rising sea-levels.

Responding to MP Lily Neo (Jalan Besar GRC) who had asked for the preliminary findings, Dr Yaacod told Parliament on Monday that sea-levels in Singapore were projected to rise by a little over 50cms at most.

The preliminary findings on the rising sea level for Singapore indicate an additional 4cm to 5cm per century sea level increase over the global mean sea level projection of 21cm to 48 cm.

These results come at the mid-point of a study commissioned by the Government last year in the wake of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) 4th assessment report. A team was tasked to scrutinise the UN report to assess the localised impact.

Early figures thrown up by this team were reassuring for the country. The existing measures were already more than enough to deal with the threat.

Dr Yaacob spelt out some of these measures.

First, he pointed that all new reclaimed projects since 1991 had to be built at least 125cms above the highest recorded tide level.

Second, he said the development of drainage infrastructure over the last three decades had reduced flood-prone areas from 3,200 hectares in the 1970s to just 98 hectares today. This would be further cut to less than 48 hectares by 2011 through works such as widening and deepening drains and canals.

'While the objective of this is to reduce flood prone areas and alleviate flooding today, the overall enhancement of drainage systems helps to reduce the possibility of upstream flooding when heavy rains coincides with high tides or sea-level rises due to climate change,' he explained.

Finally, Dr Yaacob said that the Marina Barrage project was another buffer for Singapore against floods.

Despite all this, he stressed that Singapore cannot be complacent and the Government would continue, through moves like the study, to improve their understanding of the impact of climate change.

Singapore is anticipating rising sea levels due to global warming and they're planning for the future.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...275185/1/.html

[SIZE=3]Build dykes to protect against rising sea levels: experts[/SIZE]
By Hasnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 09 May 2007 2131 hrs

SINGAPORE: Experts say Singapore can build a system to protect itself from rising sea levels due to global warming - they recommend dykes, or a sea defence system.

As an island Singapore can be affected by rising sea levels as a result of melting ice caps because of global warming.

So the country is looking into the possibility of building dykes to tackle this problem, as disclosed by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew at a recent dialogue.

Singapore is tapping the experience of the Dutch, who have been using dykes for many years.

Dykes are used to protect cities in the Netherlands, half of which were built below sea level.

Dykes have also been used in countries such as the US and Japan...

[leonleon]

Manila, the country's capital is sinking according to an expert.

What can we do about it?

Migrate?

[safeorigin]

espana river -_-

[Lucius]

Hmmm Atlantis?

[Isuzoom]

dami kasing buwaya sa senate at tongress...

[FWC]

A lot of other major cities are already under sea level. In fact, almost the whole country of the Netherlands is under sea level. But with the use of dikes, levees, and pumping stations, they are able to keep the sea water out.

New Orleans is also under sea level. And it has survived as such until hurricane Katrina came along.

Closer to home, we have Bangkok. A couple of decades ago, at high tide and with just a little rain makes most roads in the city impassable even to tall vehicles. The same thing happens when there are strong rains in the surrounding mountains and the Chao Prayva river overflows its banks. But with the right infrastructure (canals, floodways, pumping stations, etc.) the government was able to solve the problem. Now, even if there are strong rains, only very few parts of the city get flooded.

I'm sure with the right funding and a strong political will, I'm sure the same thing could be done in Manila. The problem is that it would cost a lot more that it really should because of the "cuts" and would take a longer time than necessary because of "posturings" from we know who. :censored:

[HonestTruth]

Migrate?

done! our good people already din migrated to other countries...

[timrev]

Manila-Bataan Coastal Road - pwedeng future megadike project