The Philippine Climate Change Assessment report contained in the 268-page National Adaptation Plan (NAP) approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that the sea level in Manila has been increasing by about 2.6 centimeters per year from an average rate of 1.3 millimeters per year in the 1900s, with groundwater use in the city enhancing the risk of sea level rise.
“The implications of rising sea levels are compounded by the occurrence of land subsidence in certain areas, exacerbating the impact of sea level rise and leading to increased vulnerability to flooding and extreme sea levels,” the report said.
The NAP also cited a report from the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration that Southeast Asia is often considered especially vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise, and local areas of the Philippines have been experiencing relatively high rates of sea level rise.
The report adds that about 60 percent of the population and over 50 percent of municipalities, including the capital city, are in the coastal zone.
The report said that the research utilizing satellite data has revealed a significant correlation between subsidence zones and regions with high groundwater usage, particularly in Regions IV-B, III, VII, and XI.
“Given this understanding, an important adaptation strategy for reducing the effects of sea level rise and flooding in these vulnerable areas would be to manage water (including groundwater) usage effectively,” the report added.
It adds that the scale of the potential impacts underscores the urgency of addressing and mitigating the risks associated with rising sea levels. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has said that around 13.6 million Filipinos would need to relocate amid the impact of climate change, projecting that almost 17 percent of the country’s islands will be submerged due to sea level rise by the year 2100.
The warnings have been repeatedly raised, and in this case, not everything can be blamed on climate change, but on our human activities as well. Sea levels are rising due to the former and the land is sinking due to the latter. On both counts, there are steps that can be taken to slow down its development, but as a whole, the people of this archipelago have to be prepared to face the consequences, especially the people that live in the country’s many coastal areas. If the sea level rise cannot be mitigated, then preparations and allocation for relocation have to start as early as now.
Let’s not wait until it is, yet again, too late.*
