Yolanda destruction in Phl visible from space

MANILA, Philippines - From hills to coastlines, the swath of destruction across Tacloban City from Super Typhoon Yolanda is visible even from space.

A report on LiveScience.com said the aftermath of Yolanda can be seen in before and after images captured by the ASTER sensor aboard NASA’s Terra satellite. The most dramatic change is in the hills above the city, which were stripped bare of vegetation, it said.

The ASTER image also suggests that mud and floodwaters still cover the ground. The “blurry outline of the city’s neatly gridded streets could indicate debris blown down by the storm,” the Earth Observatory said.

NASA scientists are using satellite imagery to produce damage maps that will help aid disaster relief efforts in the Philippines, NASA officials said in a Nov. 14 release.

Walkout

Meanwhile, at the UN Climate Change talks in Warsaw, Poland, the Climate Change Commission has pushed for the establishment of a “loss and damage” mechanism in preparation for stronger typhoons.

Climate Change Commission vice chairman Lucille Sering made the call as the Philippine delegation, along with 132 other nations under the G77+China bloc, walked out of a related meeting on Wednesday after some developed countries refused to back the initiative.

The loss and damage mechanism tackles measures to help prevent further loss and damage as a result of disasters and calamities, or help mitigate its effects. – Rhodina Villanueva, Paolo Romero