PARTICIPANTS of a public forum held in Quezon City on Thursday pitched the call for a safe and sustainable society in harmony with nature.
Dubbed ‘Rooted Solutions: A Public Forum on Nature-Based Solutions for Flood Management,’ the event brought together scientists and thought leaders from academe, government, private and civil society sectors to share their expertise and insights on how Nature-Based Solutions (NbS)-such as mangrove conservation, sustainable urban design and eco-friendly engineering-can address our flooding problem while simultaneously solve many other of the most pressing challenges of our time, including public transparency, climate change and biodiversity loss.
‘Nature offers solutions that are no less effective than engineered ones, but more inclusive, sustainable, and transparent. By learning from and working with natural systems, we can protect communities, restore ecosystems, and build a future that thrives on balance and resilience,’ Mary Antonette Beroya-Eitner, project manager of GeoHazards International; said in her keynote message.
‘This forum reminds us that the path to a safe and sustainable future is not apart from nature-it is with nature.’
Speakers and participants alike underscored the need for multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral collaboration, urging both the public and private sectors, as well as the different government units, to embed NbS principles into their policies, plans, and corporate practices. The forum concluded with a resounding message: ‘A society rooted in nature is a society built to last.’
The Rooted Solutions: NbS Public Forum serves as a springboard for continued dialogue and joint action. Organizers encourage communities, businesses, and policymakers to integrate nature-centered approaches into local development, aligning with the Philippines’ commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The public forum was organized by GeoHazards International, a US-based global organization dedicated to saving lives and reducing human suffering caused by disasters, in cooperation with UP National Engineering Center and GeoThink.Org.
Through innovative research, science-based planning, and community partnerships, GHI empowers at-risk communities worldwide to build resilience ahead of disasters and climate impacts.