Originally published on July 28, 2018
The Philippines’ susceptibility to climate change is exceptionally evident; hence, Filipinos should all double or maybe triple time to put a halt in contributing to these worsening climate change effects and factors.
The Philippines belonged to the top four countries in the world that are subject to be the most susceptible to climate change and its injurious effects. The Philippines ranked third from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh as fourth.
Pakistan, Philippines, and Bangladesh are the countries said to encounter extreme weather conditions due to its increasing vulnerability in the present phenomenon.
Currently, we work opposite from New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and Norway – the countries in the world that are least vulnerable to the risk of climate change and its tremendous results to both nature and humanity.
As we move forward to reduce factors affecting the climate phenomenon, efforts have been put through to address such dilemmas to combat the presented risk. In fact, in March 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change as a sworn move to reduce carbon emissions in the country. The said agreement is committed to reducing carbon emission by 70 percent in the year 2030.
In 2015, the Philippines also committed to the United Nations to diminish the emissions of greenhouse gases. And by this, the country devotes to reduce the carbon dioxide emitted from the transportation, energy, and forestry sectors in the nation. As said, the government and several environmental groups encourage big companies to be more responsible with what they are emitting to the air, as they are the most significant contributors to such harmful emissions.
The effects of climate change worsen the occurrence of El Niño and La Niña, and as much as these phenomena can be entirely uncontrollable, people, especially on the front-end of its effect can still alleviate it from happening; hence, being participative on the solutions against climate change.
Agriculture is one of the most affected by climate change. Failure to address signs or clues about it can cause problems in cultivating rice (a staple food for Filipinos), growing livestock, harvesting vegetables and fruits to name a few. To address dilemmas in the said sectors, many volunteer groups and non-government organizations alongside the efforts of various government departments promote sustainable living that assures safety and conservation of the country’s available natural resources.
Now faced with bigger climate risks, the Philippines are experiencing the adverse effects of the hazards that every race in humanity is facing. The change in the weather conditions that lauds on the extreme fence which endangers every strand of lives in an affected area. The pitfalls of events like droughts and floods that jeopardize different types of livelihood and agricultural operations; and the incidence of illnesses outbreaks due to the said change of weather that pest the human life, as well as the life of plants and animals.
The Philippines’ susceptibility to climate change is exceptionally evident; hence, Filipinos should all double or maybe triple time to put a halt in contributing to these worsening climate change effects and factors. It could be all said easier than done but showing concern and putting a heart on something the people can benefit from must be well-sustained for next generations to come.
Being optimistic and doers to help combat the effects of climate change is a huge factor in the #ClimateAction project to achieve #ClimateJustice. To help with the process, utilize appliances that devour less energy. In fact, the Department of Energy is in promotion to educate and inform consumers through its released ‘yellow tag’ on available appliances in the market that it consumes less energy and deem helpful to reduce emissions. More so, promote responsible homeownership and household-running by turning off and unplugging devices when not in use.
References:
Flores, H. (2018, March 21). Climate change vulnerability: Philippines ranks 3rd. Retrieved from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/03/21/1798866/climate-change-vulnerability-philippines-ranks-3rd
PAG-ASA. (n.d.). Impacts of Climate Change. Retrieved from https://www1.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/index.php/93-cad1/473-impacts-of-climate-change#agriculture
Rappler. (n.d.). Climate change: Why PH should care. Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/brandrap/climate-change
Shainne Hostalero 