Coinciding with a severe tropical storm that killed more than 1,000 people in Northern Mindanao — a place that usually never sees such storms — a new report predicts that the Philippines should prepare itself for more frequent extreme weather events.
Climate projections by the the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) paint a grim picture for the period 2020 to 2050. By 2020, the dry seasons will be drier and the wet seasons will be wetter, and the damage to crops and water sources will be far-reaching. PAGASA also projects higher temperatures beginning in 2020 especially in the summer months.
The result could be a cycle of droughts and floods, with significant impacts on agriculture and human health and safety. The predicted climate changes could also affect the reliability of electric power as large portions of the country are dependent on hydro-power.
The Philippines, a country of about 100 million people, is in the path of typhoons that form in the western Pacific. Approximately 20 storms hit the country every year.
PAGASA proposes a range of measures for the government to take now, including better water management, repair and rehabilitation of dams, changes in cropping patterns, and early warning systems.
According to the international think tank Germanwatch, the Philippines is one of the countries that suffer the most from extreme weather events, including high death rates and economic losses. Analyzing data from 1991 to 2010, Germanwatch said the Philippines ranked 10th among countries when it came to exposure to severe weather conditions.
The harm caused by various weather-related disasters in the Philippines include an average of 800 deaths and $660 million in economic losses every year. If PAGASA’s projections come true, those numbers could multiply in the coming decades.
Find more like this: Climate Change, Disaster Relief, Environment, Philippine Economy
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