THE VIEW FROM RIZAL
As we wrote this column, the country was watching the exit of Typhoon Aghon from the Philippine Areas of Responsibility while national government agencies and local governments in various parts of the country assessed the extent of the damage that the unexpected howler brought about.
Many expected Aghon to simply bring about a “rainy” weekend. Earlier, netizens were predicting that Aghon would bring about a much-awaited “cuddle weather in May.” We thought that Aghon would be an “insignificant weather event,” just a low-pressure area bringing relief to the extreme heat we were experiencing before it poured rains in torrential proportion, in the eastern side of the country. We were “shocked” as it transformed from an LPA to a full-blown typhoon within hours, causing damage and claiming lives.
Aghon served as an added reminder that weather conditions in the world have changed and had raised the vulnerability of local communities to the impact of such changes.
We are not alone in this plight.
We have been watching newscasts from the United States for some time now and have seen how extreme weather conditions have been battering several parts of the country on a sustained basis. Many months ago, we were surprised to learn that heavy rains and major flooding had hit several areas in Los Angeles County – a place that used to be seldom visited by heavy downpour.
Recently, various parts of the US Midwest and its eastern and southern states have been hit by hundreds of tornadoes, destroying communities and displacing thousands of families from their homes.
Given our experience with Aghon and what is happening to the rest of the world, we will now have to get used to understanding and appreciating two concepts: “extreme weather” and “climate shock.”
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) defines “extreme weather” as a rare weather event happening at a particular place and time of the year. In such situations, the weather would display unusual characteristics in terms of magnitude, location, timing, or extent.
Recently, just before Aghon, heat indexes in various parts of the country hovered in the high 30s to the 40s. These had not often happened in the past. We may have experienced an example of what the WMO says are extreme weather conditions.
The regular occurrence of extreme weather conditions has given birth to a relatively new term: “climate shock.” The United Nations Development Report of 2008 gave the term a clear definition. “Climate shock” happens when people and communities come to a “realization that highly unexpected events can cause welfare losses.” “Climate shocks” are weather occurrences that pose risks and cause damage that go beyond our capacity to cope with.
Are we ready for potential “climate shocks?”
Two years ago, we came across a report by the World Bank that assessed our country’s preparedness to cope with the impact of extreme weather conditions. The report examined the steps our government is taking to adapt to climate change and help the world reduce the impact of these developments on our planet.
According to the report, adaptation to the risks of climate change is “critical” for the Philippines.
It warned that “inaction would impose substantial economic and human costs, especially for the poor.” It added that our ability to take action may not necessarily eliminate the costs of climate change but “can substantially reduce them.”
“Climate shocks, whether in the form of extreme weather events or slow-onset trends of temperature increases, changing rainfall patterns, and rising sea levels, will hamper economic activities, damage infrastructure, and induce deep social disruptions,” the World Bank report underscored.
The report, however, pointed out two outstanding facts. First, that the Philippines is in a position to help address climate shock. Second, that the Philippines has actually taken steps to mitigate it.
The World Bank reports explained that the root cause of the erratic climate behavior in the world today is the so-called greenhouse emissions. These are gases in the earth’s atmosphere that trap heat and which warms the earth’s surface. This alters our planet’s climate and causes changes in snow and rainfall patterns. It also causes a rise in average temperatures and triggers extreme climate events, including floods and heat waves.
According to the report, the Philippines “is a relatively low emitter of greenhouse gas.” “It can contribute to global mitigation efforts through an energy transition, including a shift away from coal,” the report added.
It is heartening to note that our government and its private sector partners have taken steps in the right direction.
Among them are the emphasis on renewable energy and rail-based transportation systems. Generating power through wind technology such as what we see in Pililla, Rizal has almost zero greenhouse gas emissions. As the report said, power generation using traditional technologies is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse emissions.
The government’s focus on developing a rail-based transportation system has also been cited by the World Bank report as an important contribution to the mitigation of climate shock. It is good to know that our future high-speed trains will be run by electricity and no longer on diesel fuel as it has been in the past.
We must continue looking for ways to help mitigate the damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions if we are to protect the next generation from climate shock.
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