One of the largest problems that the Philippines is experiencing nowadays is climate change. Having an archipelagic nature, the country is very susceptible to abrupt and gradual environmental modifications. Increased typhoons, unpredictable rainfall patterns, floods, drought and increased sea levels have become a common occurrence that has affected the lives of millions of Filipinos. Such circumstances usually place communities, particularly the low-lying coastal communities and rural provinces, in distress to reclaim loss of livelihood, homes, and resources.
Human activity is one of the key causes of the aggravation of the climate situation.
Deforestation,
pollution, extensive application of fossil fuel and uncontrolled industrial activities are some of the factors that are contributing to the increased greenhouse gas emissions, which trap heat in the
atmosphere.
Poor waste disposal and illegal logging deteriorate the effects of natural disasters in the
Philippines since it weakens the natural defense mechanisms of the environment. Unplanned urbanization also causes
heavy flooding potentially jeopardizing the lives and property of many people.
It is in spite of these that
Filipinos have remained
incredibly resilient. In order to recover life after a disaster, communities are coming together to help rebuild and new methods like the community based disaster preparedness plans and the development of renewable energy is gradually attracting focus.
Nevertheless, the
resilience must not only be regarding how to adjust to the
disaster but rather preparing and mitigating the risks before they occur. The enhancement of the environmental
policy, adoption of a sustainable way of life, and
climate awareness are significant measures that can preserve the future generation.
To sum up, the current environmental changes that the Filipinos have to experience are highly dependent on the
global climate patterns as well as
local human processes. Although resilience is a commendable quality, it needs to be accompanied with collective action in order to deal with the factors underlying climate change.
The Philippines can reduce the level of devastating impact of environmental challenges by protecting nature and enhancing sustainability to guarantee the realization of a safer and more sustainable
future.
Author:
Masson-Delmotte, V., Zhai, P., Pirani, A., Connors, S. L., Péan, C., Berger, S., et al.
Reference:
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2021). Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Cambridge University Press.
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