What has been the impact of climate change on our country? We now experience increased frequency and severity of natural disasters, sea level rise, extreme rainfall, resource shortages, and environmental degradation.
The Philippine archipelago, in fact, is situated along the Pacific Ocean’s typhoon belt, leaving us vulnerable to around 20 typhoons each year, a quarter of which are destructive. They cause floods leading to damage to agricultural crops and public infrastructure, apart from displacement of families from their homes. Climate change is expected to continue doing devastating damage to the economy and to the lives of Filipinos in the years ahead.
The national government is therefore on the right track in conducting an honest-to-goodness scrutiny of flood-control projects in the country following the massive flooding in many areas, particularly in Luzon, due to the series of destructive typhoons that hit the country in recent weeks and months.
President Marcos Jr. mentioned in this last State of the Nation Address that more than 5,000 flood-control projects had been completed in the last 12 months. But a strong typhoon again lashed the country’s eastern flank not long afterwards, causing widespread flooding, with critics blaming the government for having funded many flood control projects that turned out to be useless in preventing loss of lives and property.
While acknowledging that corruption in the implementation of public works projects is part of the problem, the Chief Executive emphasized that climate change is also responsible for the widespread flooding we have seen recently.
Reacting to the latest tropical cyclone to hit the country, the
Chief Executive pointed out: “They are two sides to this. Our flood control was overwhelmed; we have flood control, but this couldn’t handle it because in the entire history of the Philippines, nothing like this has happened. We’re only facing this now.”
It is true that Filipinos are now feeling first-hand the effects of climate change through more destructive weather patterns. But the effects of climate change are felt not only in the Philippines but in other parts of the world.
Billions of pesos have been poured into various flood control projects over the years. But obviously, as the country lies along the typhoon belt, we have to funnel more resources into flood prevention and mitigation measures.
It is correct for the government to now look toward modifying the design of public infrastructure such as bridges, flood control and slope protection projects to make them withstand the more destructive storms hitting the country.
We understand that the Senate will soon conduct a “spirited debate” on flood control projects during its plenary meetings on the proposed 2025 budget of P6.352 trillion. It’s a step in the right direction, as we need an annual general appropriations act that is climate-resilient and climate-adaptive at the same time.
