Philippines
Climate change impacts
It takes only 26 days for the average Canadian to produce as much greenhouse gases as the average Filipino will produce over the course of the entire year. Therefore, January 26th (26 days into the year) is "Climate Change Impacts in Philippines Day."
“With climate change will come water shortages and decreases in agricultural productivity and food security. Our health will be threatened by heat stress and increased chances of exposure to infectious diseases. Those living in low-lying coastal areas may become climate refugees as their homes are destroyed. And tourism, an important source of income for many, will decline.
Climate change will also bring more extreme weather, from floods to droughts, forest fires to tropical cyclones. As extreme climate events increase in strength and frequency, more and more people will risk losing their homes and lives.”
Continue reading about the impacts of climate change in the Philippines through Greenpeace’s report, 'Crisis or Opportunity'.
Story
“I am Mario Roy Magayon, 46 years old. I have lived in the fishing village of Sta. Lucia in Occidental Mindoro since 1987. I originally came from Oriental Mindoro but dwindling fish yields forced me to resettle – timely since Apo Reef was still open for fishing.
In 2004, the local climate still seemed fine, but things have changed. Older villagers say that like them, the climate has also grown older and more senile. This was how people coped, for no one explained climate change to us.
It’s now getting harder to fish. The rains originally came in August. Now fishermen must prepare for rain as early as June because of low-pressure fronts which can rapidly develop into full-blown storms in just a few hours. In 2006 or 2007, fishing yields simply plummeted. Experienced fishers say that since the sea is becoming warmer, the tuna, trevally and mackerel stay in deeper waters, making them much harder to catch.”
Read the rest of Mario’s story at WWF’s Climate Witness page.
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