16 million Filipinos are at medium to high risk of water stress – ADB

THE POOR PHILIPPINES face a higher fate risk of flooding and dry periods, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The ADB’s latest key indicators for Asia and the PaciFThe IC report shows that 16.1 million Filipinos experienced a moderate to high risk of water stress, or regularly suffered from drought or severe drought. Fflood.

By comparison, 2.2 million people in Thailand experience the same level of water stress.

The report compared the Philippines and Thailand to show how countries with high poverty levels experience different climate impacts depending on geographic location. The data was measured by the poverty incidence of 16.6% in the Philippines in 2018 and the poverty incidence of 7.8% in Thailand in 2017.

“Poor communities are often disproportionately affected by climate change because of their limited financial resources to adapt or recover,” ADB statistician Arturo M. Martinez Jr. said in a virtual briefing Thursday.

The report found that all major parts of the Philippines faced a medium to high risk of water scarcity.

The entire Metro Manila was exposed to this risk, followed by the rest of Luzon (76%), Mindanao (75%) and the Visayas (71%). Meanwhile, all regions in Thailand faced at least 76% of medium to high risk of water stress.

Geographic maps show that nearly two-thirds of poor communities in the Philippines, spread across the country, are exposed to a medium to high risk of water scarcity.

On the other hand: less than a FPart of Thailand’s land area was home to poor communities at high water risk, especially in the northern region.

The report also found that 12.7 million poor Filipinos lived in areas with medium to high flood risk, covering 59.6% and 51% of the total land area prone to riverine and coastal areas, respectively. Ffloods, respectively.

This compares to 400,000 poor Thai people in areas with medium to high poverty rates Fflood risk, with 33% of the land area vulnerable to rivers Fflooding and 3.7% on the coast Fflood.

Metro Manila and the Visayas showed 100% coastal and riverine vulnerability Fflood. In Thailand, poor people were prone to rivers Fflood.

The data was shown using ‘geographically detailed’ data, which uses satellite-based mapping and computer algorithms to help identify priority climate risk strategies.

“Granular data on climate change vulnerability can reveal the unique environmental, economic, social and political challenges facing diverse places and populations. This data is crucial for targeting regions in need of immediate intervention and assistance, especially under budget constraints,” said Mr. Martinez.

However, 66% of Asia-Pacific statistical agencies reported limitations in the availability, timeliness and granularity of climate-related data, ADB said.

The ADB noted that poorer countries have higher climate risk. Low-income economies are most exposed to climate-related disasters but are less able to cope, while high-income economies are less exposed but have stronger coping strategies.

“Such disparities between income levels and the ability to cope are often reflected across economies, where impoverished communities tend to bear the brunt of climate risks and have fewer resources to manage them,” the report said.

The ADB said countries in Asia and the Pacific are now giving higher priority to environmental protection than economic growth.

“This preference tends to become more important as an economy’s income level rises. In richer economies, a higher share of respondents support environmental protection, even if it comes with potential economic costs,” the report said.

According to the report, 56.5% of the region’s lower-middle-income economies say protecting the environment is a priority, even if it causes slower economic growth and some job losses. This is also seen in 59.5% of upper middle-income economies and 61.8% of high-income economies.

ADB chief economist Albert F. Park said there is a need for more partnerships to ensure vulnerable countries are ready for climate-related disasters.

“To tackle climate change, we will find it difficult to eFfectively if we don’t have good data,” he said during the webinar.

“I would really like to emphasize the need to harmonize the way we define things, because if everyone collects data in a diFin another way it becomes diffIt is important to connect our understanding and learn lessons from different countries.”

FLOOD CONTROL ONLY
The Philippine government should focus on long-term science-based solutions and risk avoidance strategies Fflood forecasts to address the problems Fflooding problem, say country analysts Diwa C. Guinigundo and Wilhelmina C. Mañalac of GlobalSource Partners in a brief statement.

Huge at the end of July FFloods caused by Typhoon Carina and the strengthened southwest monsoon exposed the government’s powerFfective Fflood management strategies over the past decade, they said.

“Careful studies show that the root of the perennial plant Fflooding problem is continuity, or speciFfactual, the lack thereof,” said GlobalSource.

In 2013, then Public Works Secretary Rogelio L. Singson proposed an amount of P351 billion FFlood control master plan for 11 target areas in the country. However, the plan is not even 30% complete a decade after its conception, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) recently told senators.

“Data shows that payouts for FFlood control and management projects have decreased, even though the budget allocation for these projects has been continuously increasing recently Ffive years,” GlobalSource said, citing the Senate Ffindings.

Citing a Senate press release, GlobalSource said 20% of the DPWH budget between 2020 and 2023 was allocated to Fflood management. This was increased to 25% in the 2024 budget.

However, the DPWH has only disbursed 68.26% of its budget in 2021, 73% in 2022 and 58% in 2023, the report said. — BMDcruz