Small-island communities and sea level rise responses
Ma. Laurice “Darling” Jamero, a Boholano scholar for the graduate program in sustainability science’s Global Leadership Initiative of the University of Tokyo, kindly shared the findings of their very timely and useful research about the responses of small-island communities to sea level rise. The co-researchers of this relevant study (published online last July 24 in Nature Climate Change) include Motoharu Onuki, Miguel Esteban, Xyza Kristina Billones-Sensano,
Nicholson Tan, Angelie Nellas, Hiroshi Takagi, Nguyen Danh Thao and Ven Paolo Valenzuela.
The research focused on four small-island communities of Tubigon, Bohol, namely Pangapasan, Bilangbilangan, Batasan, and Ubay. The October 15, 2013 Bohol earthquake that had a 7.2 magnitude prompted what is called a land subsidence in the islands, “causing them to start experiencing partial or complete inundation during normal high tides.”
Before the 2013 Bohol earthquake, these communities were only partially flooded during strong typhoons. In 2016, Jamero and her co-researchers noted that Pangapasan and Bilangbilangan experienced 44 days of flooding while Batasan and Ubay had 135 days of flooding. Except for Bilangbilangan, all the other three communities experienced flooding in their entire areas with median flood height ranging from 20.5cm in Pangapasan, 24.5cm in Bilangbilangan, 36cm in Batasan, and 43cm in Ubay.
The researchers shared the very important information, especially for the residents, the public, and policy makers/practitioners that the extent and depth of flooding depend on both tide level and local weather conditions. Flooding, which may last a week, occurs around the new and full moon phases. During Amihan (northeast monsoon), flooding happens at night and in the northeastern side of the islands. During Habagat (southwest monsoon), flooding takes place during the day, affecting the islands’ southwestern side.
Knowing more details about the flooding period, duration, height and coverage, among others, and the factors that affect flooding, can assist in the formulation and implementation of a more effective system of flood management and other appropriate protective, pro-active responses to challenges to life posed by floods, not only in these four small island Bohol communities but for other island communities within the Philippines and throughout the world.
The research mentioned that floods affected the schooling of children, the health and sanitation of the residents (as garbage and livestock pens have not been elevated and communal toilets still to be better managed), vegetation and gardens, and water supply.
Residents have tried to cope with these challenges by harvesting rain for their water supply and elevating toilets, gardens, as examples. They also prefer to stay put, rather than relocate, despite their past experiences and present knowledge of the continuing danger and threat of more flooding in their present homes and communities.
Rather than environment factors (severity of flooding), the researchers learned that the decision to relocate is influenced more by social factors (such as the level of human adaptation strategies and the determination of residents to remain in their islands to secure their fishing-based livelihoods).
The research is valuable in calling attention to studying more comprehensively past and present measures against tidal flooding practiced by the island communities and evaluating these measures to identify adaptation strategies that are more effective and protective of people, communities, and nature.
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