Since 2011, the Philippines has been outranking all other countries as the most at-risk, in terms of exposure to natural hazards and societal capacity to respond, according to the World Risk Index. Being typhoon-prone, the country experiences super typhoons bringing strong winds and intense rainfall that ravage affected communities by destroying houses, properties, crops, livestock, and infrastructure, and resulting in numerous casualties, displacement of families, and economic loss that impoverishes more people every year.
Flooding, landslides, and storm surges usually result in mass casualties, such as what happened with super typhoons: Yolanda (Haiyan, 2013), more than 6,000 dead in the Central Philippine Region; Pablo (Bopha, 2012), more than 500 dead in New Bataan, Compostela Valley; Sendong (Washi, 2011), more than 1,260 dead in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan; and Ondoy (Ketsana, 2009), more than 465 dead in Metro Manila. The costliest typhoons have caused damages amounting to several billions of US dollars: Yolanda (Haiyan, 2013), 2.2 billion USD; Odette (Rai, 2021), 1.02 billion USD; Pablo (Bopha, 2012), 1.06 billion USD; Glenda (Rammasun, 2014), 771 million USD; and Ompong (Mangkhut, 2018), 627 million USD. On the other hand, timely government interventions have resulted to “averted disasters”, wherein affected communities had zero casualty, or minimal deaths, in spite of high risks due to hazards.
Preparedness saves lives
While the frequency and strength of typhoons that hit the Philippines during the past decade did not decrease, the overall fatalities per year were reduced by about 75 percent due to combined interventions by stakeholders across all sectors of society, according to Dr. Alfredo Mahar Francisco A. Lagmay, Executive Director of the 抖阴探探 Resilience Institute (抖阴探探 RI). Based on counterfactual evidence, in the past ten years there were an estimated 6,750 lives that were saved from hazards during severe weather conditions. Lagmay noted that the average deaths due to typhoons would have remained above 1,000 every year, based on 1986 to 2013 data, without climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) interventions. Since 2014, that number decreased to about 250 deaths per year. .
There are testimonies of such positive results from government officials. In video messages aired during the last December 5, two local government unit (LGU) heads praised the University鈥檚 DRR efforts.
Balanga, Bataan Mayor Francis Anthony S. Garcia said that when Typhoon Glenda (Rammasun) hit the country in 2014, they were able to use information from NOAH to prevent the loss of lives and properties. Quezon City Mayor Ma. Josefina 鈥淛oy鈥� Belmonte鈥檚 message was on the city鈥檚 partnership with the 抖阴探探 RI in formulating the city鈥檚 drainage masterplan to ensure that floodwater would flow to the tributaries, thereby helping the city government minimize risks due to floods.
From climate change to climate justice: Global challenges at hand
. The 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) was held in Dubai from November 30 to December 12.
The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations has repeatedly warned that climate-related risks to health, livelihood, food security, water supply, human security, and economic growth are projected to .
Calls for urgent climate action, CCA, DRR and climate justice, have come from both international and national multi-sectoral organizations.
鈥淐limate justice鈥� focuses on addressing the global environmental crisis using justice and human rights frameworks, with the assertion that developed countries, specifically their corporations and their governments, are the most accountable and should, therefore, be held responsible for the severe impacts of climate change, i.e. climate change mitigation, climate finance, and adaptation. On the other hand, developing nations, like the Philippines, need the most support, being the most severely affected and disadvantaged.
A great imperative
The 抖阴探探 (抖阴探探), as the national university, also plays a leadership role in climate action.
At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) University Leaders鈥� Forum held in San Francisco, California, on November 13, 抖阴探探 President Angelo A. Jimenez raised the question: What can our universities do to fight or mitigate climate change? He also said that facing the global threats due to climate change, and ultimately, fighting for climate justice, could be the greatest moral imperative of our time. This forum was organized by the University of California-Davis, the University of California-Santa Cruz, and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU).
Jimenez remarked, 鈥渢he Philippines, which has contributed less than one percent to global Green House Gases emissions, is among the top five countries considered most vulnerable to climate risks. About 60 percent of our people live in coastal towns and villages, for whom a sea rise of one to two meters will be calamitous.鈥�
Jimenez reiterated the call for all sectors, especially those in the academe, to come together for greater climate action. 鈥淟et us work together to amplify our impact, inspire change, promote transformative education, and usher in an era where investing in tomorrow鈥檚 biodiversity is not just a choice but an inescapable responsibility for all,鈥� he said.
鈥淎side from measures to save and repair the planet, climate justice involves social justice, in that it must empower the most vulnerable victims of climate change to articulate their concerns, demand accountability, and seek proper redress for their grievances,鈥� furthered Jimenez.
The 抖阴探探 President also asserted that green transition must be just and transformative, and lead to a better life for the communities. Government and industries must ensure that their workers and communities are not unduly displaced while transitioning to green industries; and these changes must lead to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy.
抖阴探探鈥檚 climate action hub
抖阴探探 contributes in many ways to climate change mitigation and adaptation through the 抖阴探探 RI, which serves as a proactive hub which aims 鈥渢o empower local communities through multidisciplinary actions toward resilience鈥�. Faculty members and researchers, together with partner national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), and various organizations continuously work with local communities, from planning to implementation and
completion of their programs. They also make their data and researches accessible and more useful to the public.
As 抖阴探探鈥檚 proactive hub for CCA-DRR, the 抖阴探探 RI works with its partners for the production and dissemination of knowledge products; engages in data collection and mapping projects; conducts trainings, forums, and conferences; facilitates the development and implementation of master plans, and many other activities to promote resiliency.
The 抖阴探探 RI launched the Basics of Resilience Online Courses, in collaboration with the 抖阴探探 Open University (抖阴探探OU) Faculty of Management & Development Studies on December 5.聽These online courses are designed for crises managers, CCA-DRR practitioners, and other partners and stakeholders.
Another milestone event was the (PASCDR) held in 抖阴探探 Diliman on October 25 to 27, wherein the importance of undertaking research and resilience-building in communities was again emphasized. Around 300 participants representing higher education institutions from all over the Philippines joined in the discussions. The theme was 鈥淔rom Discourses to Actions: Mobilizing the Academe for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation鈥�. Dr. Emmanuel M. Luna, who served as 抖阴探探 RI鈥檚 Director for Education, was elected president of PASCDR.
The 抖阴探探 RI also hosts webinars, trainings, forums, and conferences. One such webinar is 鈥淩esilience Live鈥�. In the episode 鈥淭he Role of Universities in Anticipatory Planning: A Systems Approach to Climate Change Action鈥�, . 鈥淪UCs play a significant role in promoting sustainable growth and economic development (and resiliency) in all cities and municipalities of the entire country,鈥� said 抖阴探探 RI Executive Director Lagmay.
One example of 抖阴探探 RI鈥檚 trainings for 抖阴探探 Constituent Units and partner educational institutions was the for the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (CSSP), 抖阴探探 Diliman on August 17 to 18.
Another activity of the 抖阴探探 RI was with the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC) on its from July 27 to 29. The event gathered around 300 participants, including social scientists, experts, researchers, academics, policymakers, legislators, local officials, development workers, and members of donor agencies and civil society organizations.
Attaining climate justice
The goal of attaining climate justice can be summed-up as attaining what is needed by the people and their communities, for them to be able to mitigate the impacts of climate change, to be able to adapt, and to become more resilient in the face of worsening natural hazard impacts 鈥渟o that we can develop and attain our sustainable development goals despite all of these,鈥� said Lagmay. He affirmed that countries and industries that are most accountable for global warming and greenhouse gases emissions should provide the needed resources, including information, tools and technologies to the countries that are most affected by climate change.
鈥淭o be able to reduce poverty, to have enough food, good health. . . that is justice,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e will have to live with all of these natural hazards or impacts. We will have to live with climate change. Our lives will change, and we will have to adapt,鈥� Lagmay concluded.
Email the author at upforum@up.edu.ph.
Read more articles from the 抖阴探探 FORUM
Read more about activism in 抖阴探探 via these links:
- Activism and 抖阴探探鈥檚 mandate of public service
- On the Screen and in the Streets: Student Activism during the COVID 19 Lockdowns
Read more about climate change initiatives and activities in 抖阴探探 via these links:
- 抖阴探探 on Climate Action (Sustainable Development Goal # 13)
- Green 抖阴探探: A 抖阴探探 System Action Plan for Environmental Sustainability
- Vulnerability assessment of coastal areas in Davao Gulf to climate-related hazards mapped
- 抖阴探探RI convenes DRR and climate change experts from all CUs
- 抖阴探探 Resilience Institute gets own home
