Preparing Philippine municipalities and communities to tackle climate change

Context

The Philippines is particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events driven by climate change. Loss and damage caused by typhoons, heavy rains and rising sea levels are increasing. The result is more poverty, migration and an erosion of the country’s competitiveness.

Adaptation measures and risk transfer mechanisms (including climate risk insurance) can help mitigate the impacts of climate change. A particularly promising approach involves harnessing ecosystems as a natural barrier to climate change. Ecosystem management tools and guidelines are already in place, but national planning is not sufficiently rigorous in incorporating adaptation. Greater emphasis must be placed on insurance for green infrastructure as the market for such insurance products is not sufficiently developed.

Objective

Ecosystem-based adaptation and climate risk insurance build resilience to climate change in the Philippines.

Approach

The project establishes a sustainable disaster risk management system in the Philippines that incorporates ecosystem-based adaptation and climate risk insurance. Implementing partners, such as local civil society organisations, cooperatives and production communities, receive training on how to include ecosystem-based adaptation into their planning.

The project covers the following areas:

• Testing of ecosystem-based adaptation measures with a focus on biodiversity
• Development of a national framework and climate insurance products for the transfer of financial risks affecting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), infrastructure, agriculture and municipalities
• Transfer of knowledge and experience from practical application to national and international frameworks

The measures will extend beyond the project term and serve as a basis for further activities. To achieve the greatest long-term effects, the project results will be incorporated into relevant planning guidelines.

Last update: May 2023