Philippines must brace for projected worsening global warming: WB report

MANILA, Philippines – A new report raised urgency for further mainstreaming climate change into the government’s planning and budgeting process so that archipelagic Philippines — the world’s third most vulnerable to weather extremes, sea level rise and temperature increase — can better build its resilience amidst projections that climate-altering global warming will worsen in forthcoming decades.

Released Tuesday in Metro Manila, the report ‘Getting a Grip on Climate Change in the Philippines’ urged action to address gaps that derail such mainstreaming bid as experts reported the previously projected 2°C rise in global temperature might even reach 4°C by 2060, jeopardizing socio-economic development worldwide.

“By acting now, however, the Philippines can avoid substantial humanitarian and economic costs,” World Bank sector leader for environment Christophe Crepin said during the report’s launch.

He noted that the government already gained headway by instituting various climate change-addressing strategies including the 26 percent annual increase in budgetary allotment for related initiatives since 2008, outpacing the national budget’s six percent growth.

Government can build on such gain by carrying out and improving core public initiatives for climate change, setting complementary policy and institutional reforms as well as promoting more efficient resource use, he noted.

“A lot has been done already but more needs to be done,” he said.

The report covers results of the Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review which the World Bank, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) and the budget department conducted earlier.

Mainstreaming-related issues

Among mainstreaming-related issues identified in the report are insufficient alignment of development plans and policies with the Philippines’ National Climate Change Action Plan, fragmented support for the Cabinet cluster on climate change and lack of government personnel knowledgeable and skilled in climate policy, financing and institutions.

CCC vice-chairperson Mary Ann Lucille Sering considers the report timely, noting higher increase in global warming is possible.

“We therefore take the report’s launch as an opportunity to start further action now,” she said during the event.

She noted CCC continues coordinating with various agencies to strengthen the government’s campaign against climate change.

The campaign includes researching the projected higher temperature’s impacts on agriculture and water so government can better identify interventions accordingly, she said.

Capacity-building activities for LGUs are on-going to help improve local action on climate change, she continued.

National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan acknowledged the need for action on climate change, noting this scourge is hampering efforts to further move the country forward.

“Climate change isn’t only an environmental issue – it’s a development concern,” he said during the launch.

He noted recent weather extremes already resulted in damage totaling some P90 billion, with about a third of this in agriculture, one of the country’s economic drivers.

“We need to continue partnerships on climate change as every delayed response to this problem entails cost,” he said.

Coral bleaching

Aside from the onslaught of weather extremes, experts earlier noted sea level rise and temperature increase are the climate change repercussions the Philippines must deal with.

Experts project the 4°C global temperature rise to likely accelerate, in 10 to 20 years, coral bleaching as well as reef degradation and loss.

Such bleaching and degradation negatively affects fisheries as corals and the reefs that these form are foraging grounds for various fishery species including commercially important ones.

Corals and reefs are also among the country’s natural tourism attractions.

Experts likewise expect higher temperature to drive more weather extremes that will increasingly endanger life, limb and property.

Department of Budget and Management Assistant Secretary Luz Cantor assured this agency’s support to make the public budgeting process more climate-sensitive.

She said such support is essential in government’s bid to promote inclusive growth.

Even the marginalized will benefit from inclusive growth which promotes wealth creation at the grassroots level, she noted.

“Climate change is a threat to inclusive growth as well as to macro- and fiscal stability, however,” she said during the event.

She noted government adapted program budgeting appropriation beginning 2012 to help better promote and support agencies’ collaboration on climate change.

Sering earlier said such programmatic approach resulted in a P13-billion budget for government’s climate change undertakings this year.

“The goal is to have targeted spending so maximum impacts possible from such undertakings can be achieved using available resources,” she said.

Adaptation

About 80 to 90 percent of this year’s climate change budget is for adaptation undertakings while the remaining appropriation is for mitigation measures, she noted.

Adaptation measures are adjustments in natural or human systems, in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or effects of these, so the country can cope with climate change.

Mitigation measures aim to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which experts said trap heat in the atmosphere, raising temperatures that result in climate change-driving global warming.

Government continues prioritizing adaptation as authorities said the Philippines isn’t a major GHG emitter but is at high risk for climate change’s repercussions.

Last year, the country advanced its climate change adaptation bid with enactment of RA10174 that established the People’s Survival Fund (PSF).

PSF aims to help provide long-term support for adaptation efforts nationwide. –Catherine Teves, Philippine News Agency