MANILA, Philippines - With the Philippines being tagged as sixth among 170 nations in a climate change vulnerability index, Sen. Loren Legarda reiterated her call for the national government and local government units (LGUs) to swiftly double their efforts to make the country resilient to disasters.
“The whole world is telling us, matter-of-factly, that we are in great danger every time a natural hazard hits us. It is telling us that we must exert greater efforts and we must act double time because we are among the countries that are most vulnerable to disasters,” Legarda said in a statement.
Based on the Climate Change Vulnerability Index compiled by British-based global risks advisory firm Maplecroft, the Philippines placed sixth, out of 170 nations, among most climate-vulnerable country.
The ranking was attributed to the country’s growing population that is exposed to flood, drought, storms and sea-level rise.
A report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs-Integrated Regional Information Networks, on the other hand, showed that Manila, the capital, is one of the five most dangerous cities in the world to live in when a disaster strikes because it is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire and lies in a coastal area. Legarda noted that the presence and continuous growth of slum areas also contribute to the city’s vulnerability to disasters.
Because of this, the senator said that the UN’s Asia-Pacific Regional Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation called on all local leaders in the country to commit to the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction’s (UNISDR) campaign to build more sustainable and disaster-resilient towns and cities.
“We must realize that every decision we make with regard to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation is crucial to our survival. We must plan carefully but swiftly,” Legarda said. “Our disaster risk reduction and management system needs to be more proactive, coherent, and effective. Committing to the UNISDR’s disaster resiliency campaign would help us achieve that target.”
The UNISDR’s program, Making Cities Resilient, encourages towns and cities to commit to the “Ten Essentials” to scale up investments in urban planning, infrastructure and building safety; protect ecosystems to mitigate floods; and install early warning systems, among other measures.