Introduction
The Philippines is among the most vulnerable third world countries to climate change. The impacts in the country range from extreme weather and periodic inundation to drought and food scarcity. According to the World Bank, Philippine is experiencing these effects. Climate models on the case of Philippines show that global warming might exceed the projected 2 0 C projection and possibly 4 0 C by 2060 causing severe impacts (Philander, 2012). According to World Bank, Philippine is directly exposed to multiple climate related hazards like typhoons, floods, droughts and landslides. According to the IPCC Third Assessment Report, Philippine experienced five la Nina and seven episodes of El Nino between 1970 and 2000.
According to Schipper and Pelling, it is acknowledgeable that climate change may affect the weather patterns significantly (Schipper & Pelling, 2006) . However the extent cannot be accurately determined due to the uncertainty about the role played by the climate change in determining extreme climate variability. According to Stern, Sperling and Szekely, it is important to promote early and cost-effective adaptation to climate change risks using current adjustment measures to accessible climate variability and severe as a initial point. Natural disaster together with the climatic change in Philippine presents a considerable challenge to poverty reduction. According to IPCC 2001a, changes in climatic conditions result to various situations such as drought, floods, typhoons that causes poverty in Philippine (IPCC 2001). According to women’s environment and development organization, women are the best part of the 1.3 billion people living in the deepest poverty worldwide. Observation made on the climatic changes in Philippines shows that there has been an increase in the temperature from 1951 to 2010 of a 0.648 Celsius on average and o.o1o8 annual increase (PAGASA, 2008)) . This is represented in the figure below; retrieved from http://kidlat.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/cab/climate_change/CurrentClimateTrends.html
Philippines have been struggling to fight the problem of climate change for quite sometime. The Climate Change Act of 2009 is currently in use (Center for Environmental Concerns, 2011). It is the state’s policy to afford full protection and the advancement of the right of the people to a healthy ecology in accordance to the harmony of nature. The state has adopted a agenda 21 framework. This advocates sustainable development in a bid to fulfill human needs while as maintaining the environment so that current as well as future generations can benefit from it. According g to Leal (2013), the government has recognized the vulnerability of Philippine archipelago and its poor population that needs to protected from severe natural calamities that can its population in hours. The health system of the country is considerably weak and the government has taken an initiative to engage several health officers to excellently handle climate-related infections and diseases.
A cautionary principle effectively guides the decision making process in assessing and managing the various risks that if occurs will highly threaten the lives of Philippines. The state is currently cooperating with the global community in resolving issues related to climate change including disaster lessening. The states policy enjoins the participation of local communities, the public, businesses, NGOs, local and national governments to reduce the adversities of climate change and maximize its benefits (Leary, 2008).
According to Bowen (2006), public health professions are play an important role in averting the disasters that in one way or another has a health effect on citizens. They should come up with clear health related policies that guide the government on what to do in the occurrence of tragedies. Public health professionals should propose a permanent solution to the issue and avoid the costly undertakings associated with climate change (Bowen, 2006).
References
Bowen, S. A. (2006). Autonomy in communication: Inclusion in strategic management and ethical decision-making, a comparative case analysis. Journal of Communication Management.
Canares, M. P. (0).Its Just a Buzzword from Above: Climate Change Challenge and Local Governance Indifference in the Philippines.
Center for Environmental Concerns (Philippines) (2011). On the road to disaster: Gaps in Republic Act 9729 and Philippine climate change policies. Diliman, Quezon City: Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2001). Climate change 2001: IPCC third assessment report. Geneva: IPCC Secretariat.
Leal, F. (2013). Climate change and disaster risk management. Heidelberg: Springer.
Leary, N. (2008). Climate change and vulnerability. London: Earthscan.
Lehner, B. (2006). Estimating the effect of global change on European water resources and hydrology : enhancement and application of a global water model.
Philander, S. G. (2012). Encyclopedia of global warming & climate change. Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration; (PAGASA) (2008). Climate Change. Retrieved from http://kidlat.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/cab/climate_change/CurrentClimateTrends.html
Schipper, L., & Pelling, M. (January 01, 2006 Disaster risk, climate change and international development: Scope for, and challenges to, integration.). Disasters.
