Cebu City vulnerable to climate change – study

Cebu City ranked sixth out of 16 cities in terms of vulnerability to climate change impacts but the problems faced by the metropolis  are minor, an official of the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature reported yesterday.

In a study conducted four years ago by the WWF-Philippines on Business Risk Assessment and the Management of Climate Change Impacts, Cebu City scored 6.55 in  vulnerability.

Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan, WWF Philippines National Advisory Council vice chairman and former president- chief executive officer, said that while the city’s problems are “relatively minor,” it is important to understand the role of the private sector and collaboration with neighboring towns and cities for better management.

He cited the importance of land use planning and the implementation of these plans.

“Cebu (City), which is a resource-scarce area, must learn to produce more with less. That’s going to be a challenge. Therefore, you must learn to integrate a way to manage Cebu,” he said during a presentation of the study’s results at the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. – Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center (RAFI-EADSC) yesterday.

WWF-Philippines, the world’s largest conservation organization, and BPI Foundation Inc., the corporate social responsibility arm of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), undertook a Business Risk Assessment and the Management of Climate Change Impacts study in 16 key Philippine cities.

Cebu, alongside the cities of Baguio, Davao and Iloilo were covered during the study’s first phase back in 2011.

The study aims to help city planners and decision-makers assess climate change impacts, identify opportunities and decide on a sustainable strategy, site-specific interventions and standards of next practice that will allow the city to retain economic vitality and respond more competitively in a climate-defined future.

Baguio City ranked the most  vulnerable with a score of 7.43 while Angeles City, which was covered in 2013, ranked lowest with a score of 5.56.

Each city was analyzed using three factors—climate exposure, socio-economic sensitivity, and adaptive capacity.

Tan  said that although the northern portion of Cebu province,  not exactly the city, is in a typhoon zone, the metropolis would  still experience the peripheral effects of typhoons.

He cited the risk of flooding within the city, especially in coastal areas, but saud  these can be managed through engineered solutions.

The other 16 cities that were studied include Baguio, Cebu, Davao and Iloilo in 2011; Cagayan de Oro, Dagupan, Laoag and Zamboanga in 2012; Angeles, Batangas, Naga and Tacloban in 2013; Butuan, General Santos, Puerto Princesa and Santiago in 2014.