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[av_heading heading=’ EDITORIAL | Collaboration’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
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Thursday, May 4, 2017
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THE GOVENRMENT has been taking steps to put in place policies to fight climate change, such as the Climate Change Act. But legislation can only go so far. It is by harnessing the efforts of collaboration and effecting change with a strong foundation built on our own experiences and that of other nations, and backed by scientific data that we can make our country better prepared to face the worst natural disasters and minimize damage and the loss of life.
We heard the government touting public-private partnership to realize many of its projects. We wish to add to these: fighting climate change. The private sector must become the government’s partner in this campaign, including the disasters that it brings such as typhoons and floods. It should collaborate with government to put in place measures to protect life and property against destructive natural forces.
For example, government-private sector collaboration can do the following practical steps:
* Building codes and zoning policies should be strictly enforced. This calls for stamping out corruption that gets around these rules. This means not placing people, homes and industries in high-risk areas.
* The country’s ecosystems must be protected. Both the government and the private sector must be aware of “trade-offs” in exploiting natural resources. Development should reduce rather than produce risks to our society and our economy. Development should promote resilient investments.
* Agricultural productivity must be improved. This calls for removing barriers such as inequitable land distributing, lack of access to seed and irrigation technology, and lack of economic diversification. Improving the livelihood of farmers would allow them to recover more quickly from disaster losses.
Climate change – its effects and our vulnerabilities – are urgent, critical issues. The time of climate change cynics is over. Public-private collaboration can break apathy and inaction.
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