of the Verde Island Passage, Philippines - weADAPT

climate change vulnerability assessment of the verde island passage, philippines
• Results should be reported regularly, e.g., no longer
than for every relevant period such as a monsoon,
or as needed as when there is an impending
catastrophic or disaster event. Also, the state of
the coasts mandates required in EO 533 is another
venue for reporting and feedback and to engage
in adjustments and mainstreaming lessons learned
into policies, ordinances, and action plans.
• Changes in shoreline positions can now be easily
established due to the availability of satellite
images. However, what the time series of images
can define are only snapshots of changes.
Information on possible magnitude of erosion due
to a single or series of storms or the pace of a
subsequent recovery can only be captured through
monitoring and partly through systematic interviews
of long-time coastal residents. The high variability
of coastal systems in the VIP corridor requires
localized studies. In areas with very narrow coastal
plains such as in coral reef areas, images with
resolution better than 30 meters are required and
field surveys are vital.
• Since the sediments of beaches associated with
coral reefs are biogenic in origin, identification
of the type and their sources are also needed.
Identification of the drivers of shoreline change
requires both regional and site specific studies
and retracing of climate, oceanographic, biologic,
geologic, and land use changes.
• Due to the limited information available on the
condition of seagrass beds around VIP, assessment
on the impacts of climate change on this ecosystem
is incomplete. Information on areas covered by
seagrasses, demographic and recruitment-mortality
will be most useful in projecting the impact of
climate change in any given area
• Eutrophication was identified as an exacerbating
factor to coastal habitat vulnerability. Delivery of
nutrients from various land-based anthropogenic
activities need to be identified in order to come up
with appropriate land-use management options.
• Sediment and nutrient delivery are not necessarily
locally-derived. Far-fetched sources, especially
relevant during extreme precipitation and storm
events, also need to be determined. This can be
achieved using fine-scale particle tracking with
multiple release points under different climate
scenarios.
• The same particle-tracking, modified to suit specific
species, can also be used to study connectivity
within and from outside the VIP. This can be used
as one of the tools in identifying areas that need to
be protected from a regional point-of-view.
• Different extreme events were shown to affect the
health of habitat and fisheries. However, currently
lacking are on-the-ground measurements of
recruitment failures due to episodic events.
• The philosophical and pragmatic question is which
general type of reef system—the areas that are used
to variability or the areas that have been always
warm—are more susceptible to future climate
change. There is a need to examine the species
(seagrass, coral, coral-zooxanthallae symbiont) that
have survived repetitive or extreme thermal anomaly
and factor these in management and rehabilitation
plans of coastal habitats.
• Other exacerbating events like crown-of-thorns
break-out should also be documented.
• Ocean acidification trends and projections is a gap
of special concern.
Scenarios for adaptation
Areas that suggest that adaptation measures are
imperative shall be those which are crucial to marine
biodiversity, the life histories of important fisheries
species, and human well-being.
For biodiversity and fisheries, these areas would be
high candidate sites for expanding sizes or establishing
areas as marine protected areas (MPA). This will not
only help in the conservation of existing flora and
fauna but also in the replenishment of fisheries stocks
by regulating fishing effort. In addition to MPA, it is
imperative that adoption of access and use rights
fisheries management interventions are put in place
such as close and open seasons, gear regulations and
effort controls combined with access incentives linked
to stewardship e.g., reserves related to enhancement
and sea ranching of highly valued invertebrates species.
For human well-being, these areas would also be sites
which deliver multiple services to the community not
only as source of livelihood but also provide protection
from climate-related hazards.
Recommendations and next steps
The fisheries ecosystem approach to management
will need to put in place as natural links to the
present conservation efforts with the tourism industry.
Environmental concerns will not only marginalize fishers
and their fishing grounds, exacerbate the impending
climate change impacts but will jeopardize the future of
our next generations.
The following are key strategies that will support efforts
in moving forward a strategic conservation plan that
will harmonize with a sustainable fisheries management
agenda for the VIP consistent with a SSS and the
Priority Biodiversity Conservation in the Philippines
(e.g., Ong et al. 2002).
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