Philippine Climate Change Reality: Its Effects on Peoples 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 Luzon JANUARY 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 La Niña compounds this climate change situation.

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

from the usual 20 cyclones/year, only 14 visited the country El Niño h eated 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 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 2003 Mild 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 : Typhoons Unding, Violeta, Winnie and Yoyong Also a climate variation: It happened in a two-week period The rainfall registered a record high of mm for a continuous rain of 11 days. It almost equaled the highest monthly volume of rainfall recorded from 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 1 Moderate: Regions 1,2,3,5 1981: Typhoon Dinang, storm surges 1982: Typhoons Weling & Bening Mindoro (108 deaths) W Luzon, Bicol Region, most of Luzon & Northeastern Mindanao total of 44 provinces 1986: Typhoon Gading- Regions 3,6,8 1987: Typhoons Ising, Sisang, Bebang, Trining & Herming-Regions 1,2, Period El Niño (Affected areas) Typhoons & Floods (Affected areas)

Period El Niño (Affected areas) Typhoons & Floods (Affected areas) (severe) Practically whole country (except extreme part of No Luzon & So Palawan 1997: Typhoons Bining & Ibyang-C Luzon & Metro Manila Flashfloods 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 (severe to moderate) Central Luzon, So Tagalog, No Visayas, Western Mindanao, Region 2 & parts of Region 1 total 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 change change change change Manila Legazpi Davao Cebu Jolo

Sea level rise Most coastal areas along Manila Bay would succumb to a one-meter sea level

Philippine Climate Change Reality: Its Effects on Peoples Vulnerability and its Challenges in Reducing Poverty

CLIMATE CHANGE ADDS UP TO PEOPLES 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  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 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 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, Electricity: Water: Schooling of children (P10/dayx2x26) Operational expenses:(P25/dayx26) Kerosene/LPG ,005.00

Average Farmers income in one planting season Expenses to farm a 1 hectare rice land: PhP 14, 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 Making Participants 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 peoples economic and organizational capacity to withstand its adverse effects

Philippine Climate Change Realities: Its Effects and How the People Cope with It THANK YOU! Maraming Salamat Po!