Experts seek local plans vs climate change impact

SCIENCE- and local-based action plans are crucial in addressing the worsening impacts of climate change in the country.

This was highlighted during the 11th National Panel of Technical Experts (NPTE) Forum, where members recommended concrete action points to address the 10 leading climate risks in the Philippines.

The 16-member panel laid out strategies and action plans for each of the risks identified to support the national and local governments in formulating and crafting science-based policies.

“In order to deal with and find appropriate and sustainable solutions to the issues caused by the economic and non-economic impacts of climate change, the NPTE members will work together with various entities, such as government agencies, civil society organizations, private and public education institutions, and local government units, to undertake science-based climate change adaptation, mitigation, and disaster risk reduction and management action plans,” said Dr. Doracie Zoleta-Nantes, NPTE chairman.

The forum also became an avenue for local government units (LGUs) to share their experiences in the recent extreme weather events that hit the country.

Leyte Third District Rep. Anna Victoria Veloso-Tuazon, vice chairman of the House of Representatives committee on climate change, shared that the extreme weather events, which have been made worse by climate change, have had a tremendous impact on their local community.

“Our Provincial Disaster Risk Management Plan states that 1,090 of our 1,641 barangay in the 40 municipalities of the province — or 66.4 percent — are flood susceptible, and 29 of the coastal municipalities, five of which are in my district, and all three cities, are vulnerable to storm surge,” Tuazon said.

The area’s basic social services, primary sources of livelihood — agriculture and fishing — as well as infrastructure development are all severely affected by floods and rain-induced landslides.

Flooding is one of the 10 climate-induced risks identified by the NPTE.

Among other risks are rising sea levels, coastal erosion, increasing frequency and severity of tropical cyclones, extreme drought, temperature increase and rising urban heat index, extreme rainfall, climate-influenced diseases, changing wind patterns, and biodiversity loss.

About P515.51 billion in losses and damage have already been attributed to climate risks in the country from 2010 to 2020.

To prepare for and adapt to the effects of climate change, Tuazon emphasized the importance of technical advice from local scientists and academicians, especially in the areas of marine spatial planning, riverbank stabilization, agroforestry development, upland reforestation, and mangrove protection and management.

For climate change adaptation, she noted that data gathering is crucial for developing risk management and science-based programs.