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

Introduction to some Climate Change Realities in the Philippines

PART 1:
The Philippine Climate is predominantly influenced by monsoons

2 PRONOUNCED SEASONS:

DRY : November-April WET: May-October

The Philippine climate is gradually changing Temperature extreme: Really, really hot during the dry or summer season and extremely cold during the cold months of November to February

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

BUT
The Philippine climate is gradually changing

JANUARY 2003
Southern part of Luzon
Drought caused by El Nio 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 Nio in the last 2 decades.

2002-03 1997-98 1991-93 1986-87 La Nia compounds this climate change 1982-83
situation.

1990-91 El Nio dry spells

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

1990-91

Typhoons in Leyte & Samar

90% of Ormoc, Leyte ruined 120,000 people affected 6,000 people killed

1997-98
El Nio heated up practically the whole
country
from the usual 20 cyclones/year, only 14 visited the country
produce from over 2 million hectares worth 5 destructive typhoons hit ruined other about PhP14B

As El Nio effects waned

parts of the country more than 2 million families experienced shortage Typhoon Loleng left Bicolfood & Southern ignited some 126,012 hectares of forestlands Tagalog with 300 people dead

October 2002 to June 2003 Mild El Nio most felt in

Northern Luzon particularly in Cagayan Valley

Southern Luzon affecting mostly the Bicol Region

2 Months after the El Nio

continuous monsoon rains in the Visayas & Mindanao
flashfloods & landslides affected 23,459 families in 4 Mindanao provinces and in Leyte

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
Period
El Nio & La Nia occurrences El Nio (Affected Typhoons & Floods areas) (Affected areas)
Severe: Central Luzon, So Tagalog, W Mindanao, Region 2, parts of Region 1 Moderate: Regions 1,2,3,5 W Luzon, Bicol Region, most of Luzon & Northeastern Mindanao total of 44 provinces 1981: Typhoon Dinang, storm surges 1982: Typhoons Weling & Bening Mindoro (108 deaths) 1986: Typhoon GadingRegions 3,6,8 1987: Typhoons Ising, Sisang, Bebang, Trining & Herming-Regions 1,2,4

1982-83

1986-87

Period

El Nio (Affected areas)

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

Typhoons & Floods (Affected areas)

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 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 Typhoon Milenyo-C Luzon, Metro Manila, VisayasMonsoon rains caused landslides & flashflods in So Leyte

1991-93 (severe to moderate)

1997-98 (severe)

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

October 2002-June 2003

Most parts of the country

Decadal trend of annual mean sea level

(in meters)
Station 1950-59 change 1960-69 change 1970-79 change 1980-89 change Manila - 0.07 + 0.083 +0.183 +0.142 Legazpi + 0.044 - 0.071 + 0.074 + 0.165 Davao - 0.099 - 0.024 + 0.069 + 0.165 Cebu - 0.090 - 0.085 Jolo - 0.080 - 0.078

+ 0.027 - 0.020 + 0.009 + 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 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

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

1986-90
A total of 84 typhoons
wrought damage amounting to PhP36.461B 1990 registered the highest loss at PhP17.341B

Periodic droughts
damaged some PhP20.478B worth of crops 1997-98 El Nio affected 68% of the country Oct 2002-June2003 El Nio 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 kg. rice/day and viand): P2,835.00 Electricity: 600.00 Water: 100.00 Schooling of children (P10/dayx2x26) 520.00 Operational expenses:(P25/dayx26) 650.00 Kerosene/LPG 300-500.00 5,005.00

Average Farmers 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.

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

implemented by CDRC together with 3 partner Regional Centers

implemented in 23 Communities from 6 provinces nationwide supported by the Diakonisches Werk-Diakonie Emergency Aid & the German Government Foreign Ministry

Training & Education: Key to Awareness Raising & Disaster Preparedness Five training courses conducted 1. El Nino Disaster Preparedness Training 2. Appropriate Agriculture in Drought Situation . 5Community-based more training courses developed 3 Research and Monitoring El Nio Disaster Preparedness Training . -Advocacy 4 and Campaign Management Skills Appropriate Agriculture in Drought Situation 5. -Advocacy Project Proposal Making - Community-based Research & Monitoring - Advocacy Campaign Management Skills Training - Advocacy Project Proposal Making

Training & Education: Key to Awareness Raising & Disaster Preparedness Five training courses conducted Advocacy Campaign & Management Aims to increase the 1. El Nino Disaster Preparedness Skills Training Training and Advocacy Project level of awareness ofProposal Making 2. Appropriate Agriculture in Drought Situation Participants later initiated affected communities actions on: 3. Community-based Research and Monitoring

on El Nio & its effects Coming up with project proposals 4. Advocacy and Campaign Management Skills to the socio-economic activities to discuss theProposal effects of Making El Nio & other climate 5. Advocacy Project activities, livelihood, change related issues health & general environmental projects like tree planting & cleaning of rivers wellbeing

Amplifying El Nino Awareness and Disaster Preparedness through Advocacy and Public Information Dissemenation
Community meetings / assemblies & focus group discussions held 5 more training courses developed 12 municipal forums held - El Nio Disaster Preparedness Training a four-day National Workshop on Lessons Learned - Appropriate Agriculture in Drought Situation from El Nio Disaster Preparedness Program held - Community-based Research & Monitoring Classroom discussions & seminars on disasters & - Advocacy Campaign Management Skills Training El Nio conducted - Advocacy Project Proposal Making

Amplifying El Nino Awareness and Disaster Preparedness through Advocacy and Public Information Dissemenation
A total volume of 120,000 information, education and communication materials were published:
Concepts of Disaster and Disaster Management 1. 5Basic more training courses developed 2. Understanding El Nino and Drought

- El Nio Disaster Preparedness Training 3. Fires, Forest Fires and El Nino - Appropriate Agriculture in Drought Situation 4. Surviving Drought: Agriculture and Livestock Production in - Community-based Research & Monitoring Drought Situation - Advocacy Campaign Management Skills Training 5. Health Measures During El Nino - Advocacy Project Proposal Making
6. Water and Environmental Sanitation

Community Mobilization & Organizing: Key to Strengthening Resolve & Community Action toward Disaster Awareness & Preparedness Resolves were manifested through - Formulation of community counter-disaster plan all 23 project communities developed
& formulated a counter-disaster plan

- Formation of family clusters & disaster preparedness committees - Development of project proposals A total of 148 families formed 23 Disaster Preparedness Committees
formed

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 Maraming Change Realities: Salamat Po!

Its Effects and How the People Cope with It THANK
YOU!