photo essay filipino climate change

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This article was contributed by Amanda Lenhardt in support of The Overseas Development Institute.

Growing up in a small town in Northern Canada, climate change wasn’t something I thought of often. And once I did learn about the global impacts of a changing climate a little later in life, the topic seemed too daunting to fully process. I tend to think of myself as an optimist, of the opinion that through thoughtful action we can see the positive changes we want for the world. The environment was always my one exception though, and while I’m typically up for a good challenge, I chose to work on global poverty issues because this seemed more within the realm of the possible than anything related to climate change.

It wasn’t until a recent trip to Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in West Africa, that some light was shed on my gloomy outlook for the future of the planet. It was there, at the front lines of the fight against climate change, that I witnessed people taking up the task that I had been too timid to even consider.

Image: Amanda Lenhardt / ODI

Amidst all the talk of climate change, for most people dominating the discussion, climate change is a distant concept - either it's something of concern for the future, or something experienced elsewhere. For farmers in Northern Burkina Faso on the edge of the Sahel desert though, climate change is a daily reality. The temperaments of the climate dictate whether the season’s crops will yield enough food for families to eat, and whether enough will be produced to sell in order to afford to send kids to school or attend to health needs.

Last year, like many years in recent memory, the rains came late. Uncertainty has become the new normal for those living off of an unforgiving landscape where population pressures, deforestation and unsustainable farming practices have paved the way for the Sahel desert to creep ever closer.

But farmers in Northern Burkina Faso are not sitting idly as the climate changes around them. For many years they have been adapting farming techniques to conserve water and regenerate soil in an effort to reclaim land from the desert and to adapt to changing weather patterns.

Over the last 25 years, around 200,000 to 300,000 hectares of desertified lands have been reclaimed in Burkina Faso through the labour and investments of smallholder farmers, and with the support of national NGOs, international donors and government services.

The use of improved farming techniques has meant that more food is produced and that families’ periods of food shortage have been significantly reduced. Although drought remains a threat year-on-year, the devastating famines experienced in the 1970s have so far been averted.

However these gains are fragile, and many of the poorest farmers are unable to take on any further investment or dedicate any additional labour to continue to help the region adapt. More needs to be done to translate promises made by the world’s leaders into practical and effective support for families on the front lines of the fight against climate change.

I left Burkina Faso feeling both humbled by the tireless efforts of people who are combatting desertification and climatic change, but also with a newfound optimism for the efficacy of actions towards a more sustainable world. For those of us feeling overwhelmed by what that task might entail, one way to start is to extend support to those who’ve already taken up the challenge, as their fight is also our common fight.

To find out more about how farmers in Burkina Faso are finding solutions to climate change, take a look at this short film:

Defend the Planet

Photo Essay: The real faces of climate change

Nov. 26, 2015

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Ang ating kwentong klima, our climate story.

The Philippines is ranked high in vulnerability to climate change. This means that as the climate crisis worsens, the higher the risks are for Filipinos to hazards and devastations. As Filipinos, we see this every year when the heat rises up to 35 C during summers and floods brought by typhoons destroying thousands of homes, livelihoods, and even lives. This is our reality, an evidence of how badly the climate crisis affected and continues to affect us. This is a subject we should no longer brush off, definitely not when it will be too late.

In 2021, the Oscar M. Lopez Center launched the Balangay Media Project bridging climate science and climate storytelling that aims to effectively bring data to people in ways to better understand the state of our country. A project that aims to organize local media practitioners and climate change advocates by building their capacities for science-based reporting and utilizing traditional, new, and out-of-home media to promote climate change adaptation and resilience-building of communities.

Born out of this project is the Umalohokan Fellowship, a network of communicators that develops media blitz campaigns and research projects on relevant climate issues of communities.

In continuing this initiative of climate storytelling and bringing climate science to the people, Asia Society Philippines, in close partnership with the Oscar M. Lopez Center , launched a 4-part series on climate, Ang Ating Kwentong Klima (Our Climate Story) , that outlines the problems that the Philippines have been facing and will face due to the climate crisis.

In this series, we have gathered climate experts from the country to share their knowledge and insights on the current state of country. We also feature the 2021 Umalohokan Fellows to provide an in-depth analysis on what has been happening on the ground since last year’s fellowship. Each expert also shares their hopes for the future as well as encouragements for people to take action for us to collectively save the planet and reach our climate goals.

Through Ang Ating Kwentong Klima, we ask:

What is the current state of the Philippines in relation to the worsening climate crisis?
How do go about strengthening our climate programs, even lessening our own carbon footprint to not exacerbate the rapid increase of disasters?
How do we take advantage of the climate science, data, and platform we have to increase better practices from corporations and individuals to prevent further destructions to the environment?

Each episode focuses on a certain impact of the climate crisis to the country—from the issue of food security, to rising sea levels, to alarming rates of devastations brought by typhoons that are getting stronger every year, to the effects on the indigenous communities, and even the Filipino culture, we explore how climate change has been affecting every facet of our life.

Watch the full series below moderated by Kato Sarmiento of the Oscar M. Lopez Center.

Episode 1: Kwentong Pagkain

My dream is to have dignified Filipino farmers and fisherfolk, who are climate stewards and who have the capacity to do more with less resources by producing nourishing food for Filipinos. ⏤ Christine Jodloman, AGREA

Kwentong Pagkain (Food Stories), the first episode of the series, discussed the impact of climate change on food security in an agricultural country like the Philippines. We are joined by Ayn Torres of the Oscar M. Lopez Center, Christine Jodloman of AGREA, Mavic Conde of Team Bicol Umalohokan, and EC Toledo of Philstar and Team G-Unit.

Episode 2: Kwentong Isla

They (affected communities) experience climate change but for them it remains a question of 'why does this happen?' and 'what are the things that we can do?'. Which is also what we want to communicate, the science part of climate change and the actual on-the-ground experiences and stories of communities and its members. ⏤ Juan Miguel Torres, Team Salikhain Kolektib

Kwentong Isla (Island Stories), the second episode of the series, talked about the impact of climate change to the lives of Filipinos in an archipelagic country, especially the coastal and island communities. Joining us are Dr. Laurice Jamero of the Manila Observatory, Juan Miguel Torres of Team Salikhain Kolektib, and Candeze Mongaya of Rare Philippines.

Episode 3: Kwentong Kultura

The most vulnerable sector of the community that are sensitive to climatic event are those communities that are resource dependent⏤they rely on their livelihood and income directly from the resources from the environment⏤and any perturbation and changes will really affect them. ⏤ Ronald Maliao, Salumayag Youth Collective for Forests

Kwentong Kultura (Stories of Culture) explored the effects of climate change on indigenous communities and their culture. Joining us in this conversation are Dr. Noralene Uy of the International Recovery Platform, Robert Mansalo-on Cahapon of Salumayag Youth Collective for Forests, and the Team Bintuwak Umalohokan Fellows, Ronald Maliao , Ritchel Cahilig , and Richard Cahilig .

Episode 4: Kwentong Kinabukasan

When we talk about climate futures, we are not talking about the distant future, we’re talking about the future being here. It might not be in your area or community yet, but it might be according to the climate scenarios, and that’s where climate scenarios play a part. It can guide us on what we can prepare for in the future. ⏤ Kato Sarmiento, Oscar M. Lopez Center

Kwentong Kinabukasan (Stories of the Future) discussed the country’s climate resiliency projects and explore how we can reach our climate goals. Joined by Dr. Faye Cruz of Manila Observatory, Asia 21 Fellow Atty. Lesley Y. Cordero of World Bank, and Umalohokan Fellow Arch. Arlene Lusterio of Team DanTAOn.

Ang Ating Kwentong Klima is produced in partnership with the Oscar M. Lopez Center

About Oscar M. Lopez Center

The Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Foundation, Inc. (OML Center) is a non-profit organization born out of a private sector initiative to enhance support for research and innovative solutions towards climate change adaptation and disaster risk management. It is rooted in the principle that science must play a role in building the resilience of communities through actionable knowledge. Founded in 2012, the OML Center was established in response to an apparent research gap that was alarmingly disproportionate to the climate-related risks and vulnerabilities of the Philippines. The first of its kind in the country, the OML Center continues to be the only privately funded grant-giving non-governmental organization (NGO) doing research-based climate change programs and initiatives.

And a Special Thanks to our Promotional Partners:

ABS-CBN Foundation Inc
Biodiversity Conservation Society of the Philippines
Eco Explorations
Forest Foundation Philippines
Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc.
Philippine Parks and Biodiversity
Rare Philippines
Save Philippine Seas
Sustainable PH
Sustainable PH Youth

Filipinos, how are you adapting to climate change? You ask, we answer

Lucille l. sering.

Climate change is definitely upon us. You don’t need to have a scientific mind to realize this, as recent natural calamities have shown in the Philippines, which also swept through some parts of Southeast Asia causing hundreds of casualties and losses to the economy: Typhoons Ondoy (International name: Ketsana) and Pepeng (Parma) in 2009 that flooded Metro Manila; Sendong (Washi) in 2011 which was recognized as the world’s deadliest storm in 2011; and Pablo (Bopha) in 2012. Certainly, this is a little discomforting and makes us a little bit apprehensive about our future. To lessen our anxiety about this phenomenon, it helps to ask questions and get answers. It’s also good to know if something is being done to address the problem – and know that it is being done right.

The Aquino government has been very aggressive in its approach to address the problem of climate change. It staffed the Climate Change Commission (CCC) and made it functional. The CCC coordinates and provides oversight and policy advice on programs and projects on climate change. It is also tasked to craft the National Strategic Framework on Climate Change and the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP). The latter serves as the country’s roadmap to effectively deal with the problem. The CCC also takes a strong stand in international negotiations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

To give more teeth to the government’s efforts to adapt to climate change, another law was passed creating the People’s Survival Fund (PSF). With an initial fund of P1 billion pesos (equivalent to US25 million), the special fund will be used for climate change adaptation programs and projects at the local level.

To ensure that the government stays on the right path, through the Climate Change Commission and the Department of Budget and Management, it has requested the World Bank to undertake a study to review government expenditures related to climate change and institutions with mandates to address climate change.

The study called the Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review or CPEIR, also provides a general backdrop of projected increases in global temperature and its corresponding effects:

Globally, since 1950, ocean temperature increased by about 0.09 o C
Sea levels have been rising by 15-20 cm from pre-industrial levels with the rate nearly doubling from that of the past century.
Industrial activity was non-existent in the Philippines during this period and any GHG emission could only come from agricultural and other normal processes. However, as a small and archipelagic country, the Philippines is highly vulnerable to sea-level rise. The report cited a study (Dasgupta et al. 2009) which listed the cities of San Jose, Manila, Roxas and Cotabato among the top 10 most vulnerable cities in the East Asia and Pacific Region to sea-level rise.

Based on the study, climate change clearly poses a threat to human survival. It foretells of the submergence of coastal communities due to sea-level rise. It also projects the occurrence of frequent and stronger typhoons, and of prolonged, intense heat in the summers and heavy rains and flooding during rainy season. It also tells of the dire consequences of these natural catastrophes to human habitation, food supply, the degradation of ecosystem services and eventual extinction of some species. This clearly shows that climate change is a development issue that threatens the gains and economic development attained in past decades. Agriculture, for instance, which relies on a stable, regular weather pattern will be adversely affected, if such pattern is disrupted by climate change.

While the Philippines is not a major green house gas (GHG) emitter, the report projects that our country’s GHG emission will continue to increase in the years to come. This growth will be due to a growing economy, heightened urbanization, increased demand and use of energy and the expected increase in the number of vehicles, all of which are highly dependent on crude oil for energy.

Given the above, the report recommends several measures along three main lines:

strengthening planning, execution, and financing framework for climate change
enhancing leadership and accountability through monitoring, evaluation, and review of climate change policies and activities
building capacity and managing change

The report, to be launched on June 25, 2013 in Manila, also calls on the government to address several barriers to effective implementation of the climate change agenda.

Meanwhile, a survey commissioned by the World Bank and conducted by the Social Weather Station finds that many Filipinos say they are now experiencing the effects of a changing climate. The survey looked into the level of knowledge of Filipinos about the impacts of climate change as well as their personal experience/s about it. We’ll soon share the results of this survey on www.worldbank.org/ph , but in the meantime, perhaps there are those who are still in the dark about how to adapt to a changing climate, or how the government is working to mitigate its effects.

If you have questions about this topic or would like to share some observations about your environment , please post them in the comments section of this blog. Join the conversation on Twitter by sending your feedback to @worldbankasia and to @CCCommissionPh with hashtag #askCCC and we'll make sure to respond to them. We hope to address all your concerns and will be selecting five of the most pressing questions and answer them in a short video called 5 Questions, 5 Minutes to be posted on www.worldbank.org/ph . Ask now!

Image courtesy of audiovisualjunkie through a Creative Commons license

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