The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), during the observance of Climate Change Consciousness Week from November 19-25, urged the public to help reduce the country’s climate change risks.
It said that our country is in peril with the increase of carbon dioxide levels and the increasing effects of climate change on many parts of the country due to the widespread destruction of the environment.
“Realizing the immediate threats of the extreme changes in the world’s temperature, Climate Change Consciousness Week is observed from November 19 to 25 where people are
encouraged to unite and engage in climate actions and solutions,” PCSD said in a statement.
PCSD also stated that World’s Meteorological Organization reported that the greenhouse gases continue to increase in the atmosphere to new records.
What is also becoming an alarm is the unprecedented carbon dioxide growth rates nearly 20 percent higher in 2015-2019 compared to the previous five years.
“If this continues, the Philippines, being geographically prone to natural hazards will suffer stronger impacts of climate change including sea-level rise, increased frequency of extreme weather events, rising temperature, and extreme rainfall,” PCSD further said.
Typhoons during the decade, that hit the different parts of the Philippines are becoming more intense causing widespread destruction to the affected localities. Typhoon Quiel recently brought tidal waves that destroyed houses in the coastal town of Paluan, Occidental Mindoro.
It is also during this present decade when killer typhoons hit the country like Ondoy, Pablo, Ompong, Ferdie, and the world’s strongest typhoon Yolanda in 2013 at record-high 315 kilometers per hour. These typhoons and many other climatic disturbances have caused massive destruction in typhoon-hit areas.
A local government functionary from Palawan during the recent Climate Change Adaptation 3rd National Convention in Manila said that the roles of the local government units (LGUs) are very crucial to our fight against climate change.
James Inawasan, a former municipal administrator of San Vicente, said that the LGUs should work hard towards the attainment of concrete action to help address climate change.
“‘The global fight against climate change will be more difficult if LGUs do not do its part, LGUs and local communities are very critical to land and water use planning and regulations, zoning, protected areas establishment and management, business permitting and regulations, poverty alleviation, capacity and infrastructure building, and enforcement of many well-written laws on environmental protection, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development. LGUs, therefore, must take both central and support roles if we are to survive this great challenge that is climate change,” Inawasan said.