Philippines

SEARCA, with support from the Asian Development Bank, embarked on the study “Climate Resilience and Green Growth in the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape (UMRBPL): Demonstrating the Eco-town Framework” which formulated measures to help San Mateo, Rodriquez, Antipolo, Tanay and Baras all in Rizal province cope with severe weather changes brought about by climate change, and at the outset, protect its natural environment…

Weather officials say monsoon winds, combined with wind patterns created by Typhoon Koppu, which recently hammered the northern island of Luzon, could be causing the “smaze” – smoke and haze -- to drift from Indonesia to the Philippines 1,200 kilometres away.The health department has advised residents in affected areas to wear face masks to prevent inhalation of air particles that can cause respiratory problems…

Thus, taking an active role toward a climate-resilient nation, top business leaders gathered recently for the first time at a hotel in Makati City for the “Philippine Business’ Response to Climate Change and El Niño: Manila Declaration Signing and Water Alliance Launch.” Recognizing that the Philippines is one of the top countries that are vulnerable to climate change, the Manila Declaration 2015 is a…

But two groups have been considerably less sanguine: Filipinos in food production and the government agencies that deal with them. Loss and devastation, it turns out, do not always come upon us in a single catastrophic event. In early October, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PAGASA) warned us about the “el Niño” phenomenon—officially called…

The 2009 Conference of Parties (COP) in Copenhagen failed to have a climate agreement, but the following COP in Cancun then resulted to a long term goal of achieving a 2ºC limit. Scientific studies, however, say that 2ºC warming is already highly dangerous. A study – led by climate scientist James Hansen, alongside 16 other scientists – said that 2 degrees of warming could…

The main agenda of the meeting is to formally adopt the V20 Action Plan outlining a concerted response to strengthening resilience and mitigating the debilitating impacts of climate change. Member-countries will also prepare for the V20 concerted contribution for the COP21 Meeting in Paris this December. Industrialized countries, besides development institutions, are the targeted sources of financial and technical support because they account for…

In it, the Southeast Asian country said it would reduce carbon emissions by 70% by 2030, and would prioritize adaptation measures to protect citizens from impacts of climate change. “The Philippines’ INDC submission is the first step in our strong commitment to work on a meaningful climate deal in Paris,” Senator Loren Legarda said in an October 2 statement. (READ: What's happening in Paris…

But this emission reduction target is conditional on assistance from the international community. The document, representing the country’s contribution to the global effort to combat and prepare for climate change, was submitted on Thursday, October 1, Manila time, said Climate Change Commissioner and Secretary Lucille Sering. This was the last day the UN set for INDC submissions. Aside from reducing carbon emissions, the Philippines…

“World leaders gathering in New York this weekend will commit to achieving 17 historic SDGs by 2030 and the ADB stands ready to be an important part of global efforts to finance these goals,” Nakao said. “Nowhere is tackling climate change more critical than in Asia and the Pacific, where rising sea levels, melting glaciers and weather extremes, like floods and droughts, are damaging…