Global warming to direly affect Cebu’s economy

Global warming will have dire effects on Cebu’s agriculture and fisheries if nothing will be done about this climatic condition now, warned an economist in her report during the Climate Change Action Forum held yesterday at the University of Cebu-Banilad campus.

Lourdes Montenegro, economics professor at the University of San Carlos, discussed this major issue saying that weather pattern changes will hit Cebu’s economy considering that the province’s population and economic activities are more concentrated in the near-coast lands.

“This will likely happen years from now if the climate change will not be addressed soon,” she said, citing the continuous melting of ice in Greenland and the Antarctic region that has resulted in the gradual rise in sea level worldwide.

The acidity level of the seas continues to rise with the continuous increase of temperature, killing coral reefs and affecting marine biodiversity, Montenegro said.  In such condition, there will be less sources of seafood and other aquatic products, and in turn fishing livelihood will suffer a lot, she said.

In a presentation, Montenegro showed a future look of the Mactan Channel covering Cebu and surrounding islands by up to seven percent of seawater when rise of sea level continues. Agricultural production will also be affected in such situation, she said.

 “The change in our precipitation or rainfall patterns is slowly affecting our agricultural production. It is undeniable that the looming rice shortage is one of the many effects of climate change,” said Montenegro.

Vince Cinches, executive director of the Central Visayas Fisherfolks Development Center Inc. called on all sectors to respond to this problem immediately.

He pointed out however that the major sources of the problem were missing in the forum.  These are the industrial and transportation sectors, which he described as major pollutants.

“I hope soon we could sit together, including those polluters, so we can solve the problem before things get worse,” Cinches said.   — Anthony S. Teo/RAE