Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 25) — At least 17 provinces in the country are among the top 100 areas in the world that are most vulnerable to climate change driven disasters, according to a report.
These are Aurora, Cagayan, Eastern Samar, Ilocos Sur, Leyte, Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Samar, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Sur, Sulu, Tarlac, and Zambales.
The study conducted by Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI) measures the impact of eight climate change hazards on the built environment of different states, provinces, and territories around the world.
These hazards include riverine and surface flooding, coastal inundation, extreme heat, forest fire, soil subsidence (in drought), extreme wind (synoptic and tropical cyclones), and freeze thaw.
A total of 2,600 areas around the world were analyzed in the report.
According to a 2019 study by the World Bank Group and Asian Development Bank, the Philippines is considered as one of the most disaster-prone countries, ranking 114th out of 181 countries.
The first country in the ranking has the least risk. The first country in the ranking has the least risk.
The country ranked second to the highest in terms of risk to tropical cyclones, 10th in earthquake, and 29th in flooding.
Climatelinks — a global knowledge portal for USAID staff — also found that the country is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change like sea level rise, increased frequency of extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and extreme rainfall.
