Looking back at the Causes of a Disaster: Why over 1,600 People Died in the Philippines in Late 2004

In late 2004, four successive typhoons and tropical depressions battered the eastern coast of the northern island of Luzon in the Philippines archipelago, causing the death of more than 1,600 people. The causes of this disaster go beyond mere climatic events and the lack of forest cover, which were immediately pointed out by politicians and the media. Rather, they are rooted in unmanaged population growth, difficult access to land, and corruption within the government along with the power of a narrow elite, which facilitates illegal logging.