VULNERABILITY AND ADAPTATION EFFORTS: The Philippine Experience

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VULNERABILITY AND ADAPTATION EFFORTSThe
Philippine Experience

• Ms. Gigi Merilo
• InterAgency Committee on Climate Change
  Secretariat
• Environmental Management Bureau
• Department of Environment and Natural Resources

1st AIACC Asia/Pacific Regional
Workshop Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok,
Thailand, March 24-27, 2003
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Vulnerability information systems

El Niño - La Niña Vulnerability Map Support for
Greenhouse Gas Inventory
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What have been done?

• Conducted vulnerability studies and rapid
  assessment of the countrys vulnerable sectors
  and areas to climate change (agriculture, water
  resources and coastal resources)

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What have been done?

• Participated in a regional climate change project
  funded by the US Country Studies Program
  (1995-1997) which focused on vulnerability and
  adaptation assessments for the coastal zones,
  agriculture, and water resources sectors using
  climate scenarios with average changes in
  precipitation and temperature. The Program also
  initiated conduct of the National GHG Emissions
  Inventory in 1990.

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What have been done?

• Prepared the Initial National Communications in
  1999 which included the 1994 GHG Emissions
  Inventory. Subsequent training courses on GHG
  emissions inventory were conducted.

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What more needs to be addressed?

• Further capacity building to develop strategies,
  policies and measures to reduce future
  vulnerability
• Risks associated with climate change, in relation
  to extremes and variability
• Adaptive capacity of communities and countries to
  deal with climate risks

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What more needs to be addressed?

• Assessment of impacts in the human dimensions on
  water needs, risk assessment, settlements,
  health, food, etc.
• Development of a strategic adaptation framework
  and policy interventions considering social,
  environmental and economic circumstances
• Issues on understanding climate extremes,
  socio-economic conditions and vulnerability,
  adaptation strategies, and stakeholder engagement.

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What do we want to achieve?

• To strengthen institutional and individual
  capacity of stakeholders to further assess
  vulnerability and adaptation to the impacts of
  climate change, including climate variability,
  risks and extreme events, in priority systems at
  the national and local level.
• To develop strategies and to implement policies
  and measures to prepare for adaptation at the
  national and sub-national levels.

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Thank you...