Philippine Climate Change Reality: Its Effects on People’s Vulnerability and Challenges to Reducing Poverty

The Philippine Climate is predominantly influenced by

monsoons

▪ WET: May-October

2 PRONOUNCED SEASONS:

▪ DRY: November-April

PART 1: Introduction to some Climate Change

Realities in the Philippines

The Philippine climate is gradually changing

JANUARY 2003▪ The coldest month in the last 3 decades

▪ The mercury dropped to 6 degree Celsius in the Northern part of the country

▪ 6 people died of respiratory diseases in Baguio

▪ Frost destroyed 10 hectares of potato & carrot plantations in Benguet

Temperature extreme: Really, really hot during the dry or summer season and extremely cold during the cold months of November to February

BUT…The Philippine climate is gradually changing

Southern part of LuzonJANUARY 2003

▪ Drought caused by El Niño damaged 4,389 hectares of rice & corn plantation

▪ 17 towns & cities were affected, with damage estimated to be worth PhP32M

BUT…The Philippine climate is gradually changing

PAGASA reported that in a 3-week period in the first 2 months of 2003:

▪ Baguio heated up from 8 degrees to 14 degrees Celsius

▪ Temperature in Manila rose from 16 degrees to 20.4 degrees Celsius

Temperature rise is a serious climate change concern especially at the onset of El Niño in the last 2 decades.

1982-83

1986-87

1991-93

1997-98

2002-03

La Niña compounds this climate change

situation.

1990-91

42 provinces in a state of calamity due to damage to crops & farmlands

Damage amounted to PhP5.486B▪ 302,777 hectares of farmlands destroyed

▪ 943,133 metric tons of rice & corn damaged

El Niño dry spells

Typhoons in Leyte & Samar▪ 90% of Ormoc, Leyte ruined

▪ 120,000 people affected▪ 6,000 people killed

1990-91

▪ from the usual 20 cyclones/year, only 14 visited the country

El Niño heated up practically the whole country

▪ produce from over 2 million hectares worth about PhP14B ruined

▪ more than 2 million families experienced food shortage

▪ ignited some 126,012 hectares of forestlands

1997-98

As El Niño effects waned… 5 destructive typhoons hit other

parts of the country… Typhoon Loleng left Bicol & Southern

Tagalog with 300 people dead

October 2002 to June 2003Mild El Niño most felt in▪ Northern Luzon particularly in Cagayan Valley

2 Months after the El Niño▪ continuous monsoon rains in the Visayas &

Mindanao▪ flashfloods & landslides affected 23,459 families

in 4 Mindanao provinces and in Leyte

▪ Southern Luzon affecting mostly the Bicol Region

November 29-December 7 2004: Typhoons Unding, Violeta, Winnie and

Yoyong• Also a climate variation: • It happened in a two-week period• The rainfall registered a record high of

1131.9 mm for a continuous rain of 11 days. It almost equaled the highest monthly volume of rainfall recorded from 1950-2000 for the whole month of November in 1966.

Climate Variations El Niño & La Niña occurrences

Severe: Central Luzon, So Tagalog, W Mindanao, Region 2, parts of Region 1Moderate: Regions 1,2,3,5

1981: Typhoon Dinang, storm surges1982: Typhoons Weling & BeningMindoro (108 deaths)

1982-83

W Luzon, Bicol Region, most of Luzon & Northeastern Mindanaototal of 44 provinces

1986: Typhoon Gading-Regions 3,6,81987: Typhoons Ising, Sisang, Bebang, Trining & Herming-Regions 1,2,4

1986-87

Period El Niño (Affected areas)

Typhoons & Floods (Affected areas)

Period El Niño (Affected areas)

Typhoons & Floods (Affected areas)

1997-98 (severe)

Practically whole country (except extreme part of No Luzon & So Palawan

1997: Typhoons Bining & Ibyang-C Luzon & Metro ManilaFlashfloods as high as 2-4 ft in Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Norte & Davao Oriental

October 2002-June 2003

Most parts of the country Typhoon Milenyo-C Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas-Monsoon rains caused landslides & flashflods in So Leyte

1991-93(severe to moderate)

Central Luzon, So Tagalog, No Visayas, Western Mindanao, Region 2 & parts of Region 1total of 42 provinces

1991: Typhoons Uring & Trining-No Luzon & Visayas (badly hit were Leyte & Ormoc City in Samar)1992: 4 typhoons that caused lahar flows & flooding in C Luzon

Decadal trend of annual mean sea level

(in meters)Station

1950-59 change

1960-69 change

1970-79 change

1980-89 change

Manila Legazpi Davao Cebu Jolo

- 0.07

+ 0.083

+0.183

+0.142

+ 0.044

- 0.071

+ 0.074

+ 0.165

- 0.099

- 0.024

+ 0.069

+ 0.165

- 0.090

- 0.085

+ 0.027

+ 0.009

- 0.080

- 0.078

- 0.020

+ 0.069

Sea level rise

Most coastal areas along Manila Bay would

succumb to a one-meter sea level

Philippine Climate Change Reality:Its Effects on People’s

Vulnerability and its Challenges in Reducing

Poverty

CLIMATE CHANGE ADDS UP TO PEOPLE’S VULNERABILITY

� In the Philippines, disasters whether climate-induced or not add up to the already impoverished situation of the majority of Filipino families who are

living below the poverty line� The harmful effects of climate change

and the disasters it induced bear heavily on the most vulnerable or

marginalized segments of the Philippine population especially the poor peasants

Climate change have claimed thousands of lives & billions worth of property

1986-90

▪ wrought damage amounting to PhP36.461B▪ 1990 registered the highest loss at PhP17.341B

A total of 84 typhoons

Periodic droughts▪ damaged some PhP20.478B worth of crops▪ 1997-98 El Niño affected 68% of the country

▪ Oct 2002-June2003 El Niño damaged PhP392.86M in agriculture & aquaculture

The December 2004 typhoon-induced Landslide Disaster incurred the following losses:• Death: 1,608 persons• Displaced: 880,000 persons• Totally destroyed houses: 38,538• Partially damaged houses: 133,161• Damage to agriculture: 107,853 hectares of

agricultural crops were destroyed. Losses were estimated to cost PhP830M

• Damage to public and private property: estimated to cost PhP 7 B.

Quezon and Aurora Province: A Year After

• Only 40% of the destroyed houses were rebuilt

� 80% of agricultural lands were not yet rehabilitated

� Lands that were previously planted to rice and corn do not bear growth

MONTHLY FAMILY BUDGET (Average urban poor family living on $3/day or PhP165 =Php 4,950)

Food (1 ½ kg. rice/day and viand): P2,835.00Electricity: 600.00Water: 100.00Schooling of children (P10/dayx2x26) 520.00Operational expenses:(P25/dayx26) 650.00Kerosene/LPG 300-500.00

5,005.00

Average Farmer’s income in one planting season• Expenses to farm a 1 hectare rice land: PhP 14,700• 1. Farm Inputs (seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and

herbicides): PhP12,400 (50%-50% share with the landlord)• 2. Land preparation (mechanized tractor and harrow):

PhP2,300 (50-50)• Average Regular Yield: 80 sacks• LESS: 16 sacks (2 sacks for every 10 sacks)• 1. Post-harvest expenses (thresher and farm worker)• 2. 50% share of the landlord• NUMBER OF SACKS LEFT TO THE FARMER: 32 sacks

• 32 sacks x PhP 350 = PhP 8,200-7,350 = PhP850

‘Beware of the sea during a bloody red sunset and enjoy its abundance when dawn breaks and the sky is red.’

▪ implemented in 23 Communities from 6 provinces nationwide

▪ implemented by CDRC together with 3 partner

Regional Centers

▪ supported by the Diakonisches Werk-Diakonie Emergency Aid & the German Government Foreign Ministry

The El Nino Disaster Preparedness Program: Learning with the Communities in Understanding Climate and Climate Change and Coping with it

Training & Education: Key to Awareness Raising & Disaster Preparedness

▪ 5 more training courses developed

- El Niño Disaster Preparedness Training- Appropriate Agriculture in Drought Situation- Community-based Research & Monitoring- Advocacy Campaign Management Skills Training- Advocacy Project Proposal Making

� Five training courses conducted

�1. El Nino Disaster Preparedness Training

�2. Appropriate Agriculture in Drought Situation

�3. Community-based Research and Monitoring

�4. Advocacy and Campaign Management Skills

�5. Advocacy Project Proposal Making▪

Aims to increase the level of awareness of affected communities on El Niño & its effects to the socio-economic activities, livelihood, health & general wellbeing

Advocacy Campaign & Management Skills Training and Advocacy

Project Proposal MakingParticipants later initiated actions on:

▪ Coming up with project proposals▪ activities to discuss the effects of El Niño & other climate change related issues▪ environmental projects like tree planting & cleaning of rivers

Training & Education: Key to Awareness Raising & Disaster Preparedness

� Five training courses conducted

�1. El Nino Disaster Preparedness Training

�2. Appropriate Agriculture in Drought Situation

�3. Community-based Research and Monitoring

�4. Advocacy and Campaign Management Skills

�5. Advocacy Project Proposal Making

Amplifying El Nino Awareness and Disaster Preparedness through Advocacy

and Public Information Dissemenation

▪ 5 more training courses developed

- El Niño Disaster Preparedness Training- Appropriate Agriculture in Drought Situation- Community-based Research & Monitoring- Advocacy Campaign Management Skills Training- Advocacy Project Proposal Making

▪ 12 municipal forums held

▪ a four-day National Workshop on Lessons Learned from El Niño Disaster Preparedness Program held

▪ Classroom discussions & seminars on disasters & El Niño conducted

▪ Community meetings / assemblies & focus group discussions held

Amplifying El Nino Awareness and Disaster Preparedness through Advocacy

and Public Information Dissemenation

▪ 5 more training courses developed

- El Niño Disaster Preparedness Training- Appropriate Agriculture in Drought Situation- Community-based Research & Monitoring- Advocacy Campaign Management Skills Training- Advocacy Project Proposal Making

A total volume of 120,000 information, education and communication materials were published:1. Basic Concepts of Disaster and Disaster Management

2. Understanding El Nino and Drought

3. Fires, Forest Fires and El Nino

4. Surviving Drought: Agriculture and Livestock Production in Drought Situation

5. Health Measures During El Nino

6. Water and Environmental Sanitation

Community Mobilization & Organizing: Key to Strengthening Resolve & Community Action toward Disaster Awareness & Preparedness

▪ Resolves were manifested through

- Formation of family clusters & disaster preparedness committees

▪ A total of 148 families formed▪ 23 Disaster Preparedness Committees formed

- Formulation of community counter-disaster plan

▪ all 23 project communities developed & formulated a counter-disaster plan

- Development of project proposals

Climate Change and its challenges to the MDG and poverty reduction

• Poverty cannot be eradicated if climate extremes like drought/El Nino and tropical cyclones will destroy the very limited economic sources and means of vulnerable population

• Universal primary education cannot be achieved if climate change-induced disasters or its other consequences hinder the economic capacities of families to send their children to schools or if school structures were destroyed by these disasters.

• Environmental sustainability will be difficult to achieve if programs and practices contributing to global warming continue.

• Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases will be very difficult and on the other hand, climate-change induced diseases and illnesses like heat stroke (during extremely hot weather), diarrhea, asthma, etc. could aggravate the health situation

• The greater challenge being posed by climate change and the disasters it induced is more than the question of How to prepare communities and people toward climate change preparedness, adaptation and mitigation but uplifting the people’s economic and organizational capacity to withstand its adverse effects

Philippine Climate Change Realities:Its Effects and How the

People Cope with ItTHANKYOU!

Maraming Salamat Po!