BACKGROUND: Philippines an explosive mix for deadly disasters

Dec 19, 2011, 7:40 GMT

Manila - Beneath its alluring white sand beaches, enchanting coral reefs, lush green forests and all-year-round sunshine, the Philippines lies on a dangerous spot in the Pacific where deadly cyclones originate and other disasters strike each year.

In the last 10 years, an average of 1,066 people have been killed annually in storms, landslides and other disasters in the hilippines, according to the International Disaster Database of the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters.

Floods caused by Tropical Storm Washi over the weekend left more than 1,000 dead and missing in the southern Philippines.

The weather bureau said the country is hit by an average of 21 storms and typhoons every year.

Meteorologist Oscar Tabada said that since the Philippines is located in the so-called 'typhoon belt,' tropical cyclones were part of the country's everyday life.

'We are situated in the white oceanic area between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, where tropical cyclones usually develop,' he said.

As if being located in the 'typhoon belt' were not enough, the Philippines is also located on the 'Pacific Rim of Fire,' where volcanic eruptions and powerful earthquakes occur regularly.

There are 23 active volcanoes in the country, and 26 others that are potentially active, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

In 1991, at least 800 people were killed when Mount Pinatubo erupted in the northern Philippines, destroying thousands of hectares of agricultural lands and millions of dollars in property.

Phivolcs said several fault lines stretch across the country, making it vulnerable to deadly earthquakes. An average of 20 earthquakes occurs in the country everyday but most are too weak to be felt by the population.

Felino Palafox, one of the country's top architects, blamed lack of urban planning and uncontrolled exploitation of forests for the deadly floods that occur each year.

'The mountains have been denuded so the mountains have very low capacity for holding waters due to illegal logging,' he told dpa in a telephone interview.

Palafox also noted that most urban areas are situated in low-lying regions prone to flooding, including the disaster-stricken Cagayan de Oro, which was already hit by floods three years ago.

He added that since it would be too expensive to relocate the millions of people residing in flood-prone cities throughout the country, the government should focus on mitigation measures such as building flood drains and elevating residential areas above the floodlines.

'The government should look at building dikes and dredging the rivers and massive reforesting of the mountains,' he said.