Climate Resilience in the Philippines
Climate resilience in the Philippines starts with accountability, as undelivered flood-control projects and collusion undermine efforts to build resilience and fuel public demands for accountability.
The Philippines is highly vulnerable to natural disasters such as typhoons, monsoon rains, sea-level rise, and persistent flooding.
Historian Karl Jacoby calls this phenomenon ‘moral ecology’, where disasters are explained in moral terms and blame is assigned.
This has led to public calls for discipline, with vulnerability to disaster blamed on individual shortcomings, such as lack of foresight or civic responsibility.
- Political leaders often portray disasters as the result of natural hazards and lapses in personal or community practices, including:
- failing to dispose of garbage properly
- living in slum areas that obstruct waterways
- lacking discipline in the face of adversity
Author's summary: Accountability is key to climate resilience in the Philippines.