Vulnerability
to climate change

The next step is to set up programs to combat climate change in various parts of the country. In this regard, we must give credit to Governor Joey Salceda for his leadership in vigorously promoting awareness of climate change in the country with particular focus on the Bicol Region. It is also notable that Governor Emilio Macias II and Vice-Governor Petit Baldado are leading the call for Negros Island local government response to climate change after SU President Ben Malayang III organized a seminar on the subject at Silliman University in February 2008. During this month, on the initiative of academic institutions at Los Baños and Silliman University, an ASEAN-wide seminar and workshop on climate change was held in Manila to discuss appropriate responses to climate change in the ASEAN region.

At this time two global problems have combined to result in exponential effects on all nations of the world, irrespective of size, location, state of development, etc. These are the biodiversity loss and climate change, the former brought about by greed and unrestrained consumption of the earth's resources, the latter caused by the large-scale emission of carbon dioxide and other gases through industrialization during the past 300 years. Both would result in at least decreased stability and productivity of the environment. It has been known for a long time that high biodiversity results in stability and productivity.

Although there is good academic reason for differentiating the effects of exploitation from the effects of climate change, we should probably consider their combined negative effects in order to minimize them and to adapt to the changes they bring about. One idea suggested by the ASEAN workshop mentioned above was to divide the country into areas with different vulnerabilities to the combined effects of climate change and biodiversity loss.

For the Philippines, all regions have been devastated by biodiversity loss, whether one considers land or aquatic (marine) resources. This loss, as we all know, is due to the continuing heavy resource exploitation and habitat destruction, despite valiant efforts by many to conserve and protect biodiversity. But the major climatic variables are the heavy rainfall and strong winds associated with typhoons. In this regard, Luzon, including the Batanes area, is visited by probably two-thirds of the 20-odd typhoons hitting the country every year causing heavy damage. (Destruction of the coral reefs and reef fishes in the Bicol region, for example, is due to human-induced factors, not climate change.) Parts of the Visayas above the 10 degree latitude are probably the next vulnerable area. The rest of the Philippines below the 10 degree latitude probably suffer the least from the destructive effects of typhoons.

However, southern Philippines is vulnerable to flooding, mudslides and erosion caused by the rains during typhoons as well as ENSO events as the more northern areas, and is also affected by strong southwest monsoon winds. In the past, before climate change accelerated, fragile ecosystems such as coral reefs developed extensively in southern and southwestern Philippines, as evidenced by the occurrence there of a wide expanse of coral reefs. But climate change would most likely result in some changes in these ecosystems. Some islands in the Palawan group already show signs of the erosive effects of what might turn out to be sea level rise.

Tsunamis, although rare events, could bring about more devastation in southern Philippines as there are three active subduction sites in the area. In this connection, the destruction of primary mangroves, which can serve as first-line of defense against tsunamis, has occurred in the area.

In the light of the negative effects of climate change, it is prudent on the part of the Philippine government to increase the protection of its controlled areas in the South China Sea, as these can help ensure the sustainability of marine biodiversity in northern and western Philippines.