Abstract
Abstract. A number of studies assessing the vulnerability of Southeast Asia to climate change have classified the Philippines as one of the vulnerable countries in the region. Bolinao, Pangasinan is a municipality located in northwestern Luzon, situated in the western part of the Lingayen Gulf and is bounded on the north and west by the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea). Recent studies have verified the varying trends in sea level across the South China Sea, which is considered as one of the largest, semi-enclosed marginal seas in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Three barangays (villages) were included in the study: (1) Luciente 1.0, (2) Concordia and (3) Germinal. The Socioeconomic Vulnerability Index (SVI) was computed based on population, age, gender, employment, source of income and household size, which were gathered through a qualitative survey in the selected barangays. The Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) described the physical vulnerability of these coastal communities based on recorded sea level anomalies and significant wave heights of multiple satellite altimetry missions, coastal topography derived from the 25-m SRTM digital elevation model (DEM), bathymetry from WorldView-2 and additional elevation data from terrestrial laser scanning surveys. The research utilized merged satellite altimetry data downloaded from the Radar Altimetry Database System (RADS), which covered the period from 1991–2010. The SVI and CVI were calculated and evaluated in ArcGIS. The SVI and CVI were integrated to determine the Total Vulnerability Index (TVI), which characterized the vulnerability of the three barangays in five classes, from very low to very high vulnerability.
Highlights
1.1 Background of the StudyThe Philippine archipelago has a huge aggregate coast of approximately 32,400 kilometers and the majority of its continuously growing population resides on coastal plains, making it vastly vulnerable to the effects of accelerated sea level rise (Capili, Ibay, & Villarin, 2005)
This study investigates the vulnerability to sea level rise of barangays Luciente 1.0, Germinal and Concordia
The questionnaires include inquiries about population, education, primary sources of income, migration, flooding history, typhoon frequency, property damage after typhoon and flooding events, repair of properties and environmental awareness. These questions aim to collect demographics data and information based on experience since most of the residents have been living in the area for generations (Mimura, 1999) to fill in the gaps needed to conduct an in-depth vulnerability assessment
Summary
The Philippine archipelago has a huge aggregate coast of approximately 32,400 kilometers and the majority of its continuously growing population resides on coastal plains, making it vastly vulnerable to the effects of accelerated sea level rise (Capili, Ibay, & Villarin, 2005). The development of a Socioeconomic Vulnerability Index (SVI), which is dependent on the locally relevant socioeconomic factors, can further quantify the degree of vulnerability The integration of these indices may provide a merged vulnerability index resulting to the Total Vulnerability Index (TVI) that characterizes the overall risk and vulnerability of the coastal communities (Szlafsztein & Sterr, 2007). The research is significant in view of the lack of sufficient information on sea level rise and their impacts on coastal communities Such information are critically required by policy makers, coastal managers and residents of the coastal zone in order to formulate effective and efficient policies and measures related to climate change adaptation
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