Foreword Climate change is undoubtedly the biggest challenge the Philippines faces today, and the vulnerability of our water resources to this phenomenon is a reality that can no longer be ignored. But while water scarcity is perhaps one of the most alarming projected effects of climate change on water resources, two recent typhoons in the Philippines— Ketsana and Parma—have driven home the message that over-abundance can be equally devastating. Both typhoons, along with several others in the past few years, have shown how the country is sorely ill-prepared to handle the impacts brought on by a warming world. Indeed, climate change and the ensuing extreme weather events which have brought too little—or too much—water, have caused periods of water crisis that have destroyed thousands of lives and billions of pesos worth of property and agricultural crops. At the same time, water resources in the country are already confronted with many persistent problems: widespread pollution, over-extraction, and the degradation of watersheds. The present situation, set against the backdrop of climate change, is far from promising. While climate change will affect all sectors, it is its effects on freshwater—society’s, and the Earth’s, life support system—which will be most seriously felt. Water insecurity cuts across all other sectors and will negatively affect agriculture, health, and the economy. But the country’s water systems are still far from being climate-proofed, and current climate change adaptation plans lack the necessary emphasis on addressing impacts on water. This report therefore puts forward the case for the improved management of water resources as a key climate change adaptation strategy. Ensuring the sustainability of our freshwater resources now, particularly by addressing water pollution, and planning for changes that will enable current water systems to be resilient in the face of extreme weather and other climate impacts, should be the first step. Von Hernandez Executive Director Greenpeace Southeast Asia
Impacts and Vulnerabilities in the Philippines