Abstract
The Philippines is one of the most hazard prone and vulnerable countries in the world to climate change effects due to its geographical location. Climate change is already happening and affecting many places causing huge problems to coastal ecosystems. Vulnerability and disaster assessment and mapping in coastal areas are essential tasks and undertakings for coastal disaster risk management. The objectives of this study were to assess the climate change vulnerability and disaster risks in the four municipalities (Sta. Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc and Palauig) of Zambales and to determine the climate change community-based adaptation (CBA) and ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA) strategies. Remote sensing, GIS, secondary data gathering and key informant interview were used to assess vulnerability and disaster risks and mapping in the four municipalities. Survey questionnaire, focus group discussion and key informant interview were utilized in gathering data for the determination of climate change adaptation strategies. Using remote sensing technology, it was revealed that coastline changes have occurred in the shorelines of the four coastal municipalities after a decade. Sea level rise happened in Sta. Cruz and Masinloc, Zambales while there was build-up of soil in the coastline of Candelaria and Palauig, Zambales. Twelve hazard maps, 12 vulnerability maps and 12 disaster risk maps were generated for the three major disasters (flood, landslide, storm surge) in the four coastal municipalities. Based on the flood vulnerability and disaster risk assessment, the municipality of Palauig was found to be the most prone to flooding while the municipality of Candelaria was found to be the most vulnerable to landslide compared to other municipalities. All coastal barangays in the four municipalities were susceptible to storm surge. The four coastal municipalities were conducting community-based adaptation (CBA) and ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA) approaches in order to protect their coastal resources from the damaging impacts of climate change and improve the resilience of their local communities.
Highlights
Climate change is one of the twenty-first century’s most pressing problems
Results revealed that the four coastal municipalities are conducting almost the same ecosystem-based adaptation approaches in order to protect their coastal resources from the effects of climate change except for the utilization and promotion of alternative energy such as ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH
Three major disasters that have devastating climate change impacts were assessed in this study namely flood, landslide, and storm surge using remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies
Summary
Climate change is one of the twenty-first century’s most pressing problems. Climate change is happening and affecting many places causing huge problems to agriculture, coastal and forest ecosystems. Coastal resource degradation becomes more complex due to climate change impacts and occurrence of natural hazards. There are many factors causing the Earth’s climate to change. According to the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) climate change is attributed directly and indirectly to human activities that alter the composition of the global atmosphere. The Philippines is one of the most hazard prone or vulnerable countries in the world due to its geographical location and is one of the most susceptible to climate change effects with an average of 19 - 20 typhoons per year. The Philippines takes a serious view of the potential effects and possible responses to these kinds of hazards and disasters
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