RCCDO SEPTEMBER 14 BULLETIN

The Philippines has long been particularly
vulnerable to extreme weather. But
in recent years our nation has suffered
from even more violent storms like Typhoon
Haiyan. On average, about 20
tropical cyclones enter Philippine waters
each year, with eight or nine making
landfall. And over the past decade,
these tropical storms have struck our
nation more often and more severely,
scientists believe, because of climate
change. In addition, two factors unique
to the Philippines—its geography and
development—have combined to worsen
both this threat and its devastating
consequences.
The Global Climate Risk Index 2015
listed our country as the number one
most affected country by climate
change. This is thanks, in part, to its
geography. The Philippines is located in
the western Pacific Ocean, surrounded
by naturally warm waters that will likely
get even warmer as average seasurface
temperatures continue to rise.
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As the ocean’s surface temperature increases
over time from the effects of
climate change, more and more heat is
released into the atmosphere. This additional
heat in the ocean and air can lead
to stronger and more frequent storms—
which is exactly what we’ve seen over
the last decade.
The Philippines also lacks natural barriers;
as a collection of more than 7,000
islands there is almost nothing standing
between us and the sea. In addition to
the coral reefs, one of the best buffers
against typhoons are the Philippine mangrove
ecosystems. These mangroves
help lessen the impact of storm surge
and stabilize soil but have disappeared
by almost due to deforestation.
This is not an easy problem to fix, but
we need to try. The first step is environmental
and climate literacy, with education
as the key. There is still a wide
room for educating the public on what
can be done to balance our daily needs.
Continued, CLIMATE p.15