Climate change alert: Phl faces killer storms

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines faces massive storms that will devastate coastal communities and informal settlements due to climate change and global warming, a report prepared by the World Bank (WB) revealed.

The WB report also said South Asia and Southeast Asia will “heat up” with an alarming four-degree temperature increase in the next few years.

“If the world warms by two degrees Celsius, it will cause widespread food shortages, unprecedented heat-waves, and more intense cyclones. In the near-term, climate change, which is already unfolding, could greatly harm the lives and the hopes of individuals and families who have had little hand in raising the Earth’s temperature,” the report said.

The report, entitled “Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts and the Case for Resilience,” was prepared for the World Bank by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Climate Analytics.

The report reveals how rising global temperatures are increasingly threatening the health and livelihoods of the most vulnerable populations.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, food shortages will become more common, while in South Asia, shifting rain patterns will leave some areas underwater and others without enough water for power generation, irrigation or drinking.

“In Southeast Asia, the degradation and loss of coral reefs will diminish tourism, reduce fish stocks, and leave coastal communities and cities more vulnerable to storms,” the WB said.

Climate risks for Southeast Asia in a two-degree Celsius increase would likely lead to sea levels rising as much as 50 centimeters by the 2050s.

“This will cause greater destruction and result in flooding fields for extended periods, and inundate delta areas with intrusions of salt water into fields and in groundwater used for drinking.”

The report also projects typhoons will increase in intensity to Category 4 and 5.

The three river deltas of the Mekong, Irrawaddy and the Chao Phraya are particularly at risk.

Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Manila, and Yangon are among the cities likely to be most affected.

Meanwhile, coral reefs will come under severe stress due to ocean acidification.

Projections indicate that all coral reefs in Southeast Asia may experience severe stress by the year 2050, hurting marine fisheries, tourism, and livelihoods.

The report pointed out that approximately 138 million people living on coasts and within 30 kilometers of a coral reef are likely to suffer major social, economic, and nutritional impacts as a result of climate change.