Embracing Change: Accelerating National Climate Adaptation for Sustainable Tourism
The Climate Change Commission (CCC) emphasized the imperative for accelerated implementation of national strategies aimed at fortifying the nation’s resilience against the escalating impacts of climate change.
In a statement issued on Friday evening, CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje highlighted the swift surge in greenhouse gas emissions as a catalyst for climate change, exacerbating its repercussions on crucial ecosystems such as food systems.
Borje stressed, “Our unified efforts are paramount in mitigating food insecurity and population displacement. Enhancing our awareness and deepening our comprehension of the intricate relationship between climate change and public health is pivotal to ensuring that Filipinos remain equipped and adaptable.”
Collaborating with various government bodies, the CCC has formulated the preliminary drafts of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and the Nationally Determined Contribution Implementation Plan (NDCIP), both of which Borje deemed in need of “urgent execution.”
The NAP aims to diminish susceptibility to climate change impacts by fostering adaptive capacity and resilience while facilitating the integration of climate change adaptation into policies and initiatives. Meanwhile, the NDCIP delineates pivotal actions, timelines, financial estimates, and implementation frameworks for fulfilling the Philippines’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) across sectors such as transportation, energy, waste management, industry, and agriculture.
Borje’s call to action comes in response to the escalating heat index observed nationwide, a phenomenon resonating globally.
Recently, the World Meteorological Organization released its report on the State of the Global Climate for 2023, sounding alarms over the accelerating trend of global warming. The report confirmed 2023 as the hottest year on record, with the global average near-surface temperature surging to 1.45 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Borje emphasized that the Philippines continues to grapple with some of its hottest days, with the heat index nearly reaching half the boiling point of water.
“The Climate Change Commission urges all stakeholders—from government agencies and the private sector to educational institutions and the youth—to ready themselves for the repercussions of global warming, including the surging heat waves and escalating heat indices that we are currently witnessing,” Borje concluded.
QUOTES
“Respect yourself and others will respect you.”
“Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.”
“The superior man is modest in his speech but exceeds in his actions.”
“When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.”
“To see what is right and not do it is the want of courage.”
