CLIMATE CHANGE AND RISK REDUCTION

Discussion on the consequences of climate change globally as well as risk

reduction strategies on policies employed by the Philippines

Reported by:

Myla Soria

Angeleen Taran
Name : Taran, Angeleen A.
Subject : MPA 311: Seminar in Trends and Issues in Public Administration
Professor : Dr. Jovan L. Cornelia

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face, and there can be a lot of confusion

about it.

If there is one thing I want you to get from this discussion it is that climate change is

○ Simple

○ Serious

○ Solvable

● Simple meaning that we understand the problem

● Serious meaning that it is already impacting us and the impacts are accelerating

● Solvable meaning that we have the knowledge and tools to avoid the worst impacts

I’m going to tell you more about why climate change is simple, serious, and solvable

The basic idea of climate change is that humans burn fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)

This burning puts carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere

CO2 is a greenhouse gas and it makes the planet warmer

● This animation shows how the greenhouse effect works

○ Some energy is reflected back into space

○ Some energy is absorbed and re-radiated back to the ground as heat

○ Most of the heat is absorbed by greenhouse gases and reflected in all directions,

warming the Earth

● Greenhouse gases make the planet livable: without them, the average temperature of

the planet would be about 60°F colder

● But, slight changes in greenhouse gas concentrations can alter the climate, affecting the

world around us

● While many of us only learned about the greenhouse effect and climate change recently,

the science linking CO2 to warming is old.

● Here are a few key discoveries

○ In the 1820s Joseph Fourier (France) proposed there were gases in the

atmosphere keeping earth warmer than it would be without them

○ In the 1850s Eunice Foote (USA) discovered that carbon dioxide warmed the air

around it

○ In the 1890s Svante Arrhenius (Sweden) calculated a doubling of atmospheric

carbon dioxide would raise the Earth’s temperature several degrees

○ In the 1930s Guy Stewart Callendar (England) refined Arrhenius’s calculations,

made the first climate projections, and assembled first evidence for global

warming. Many scientists call the greenhouse effect the “Callendar Effect”

SERIOUS

● I’ve now told you that the planet is warming because of CO2 in the atmosphere.

● But, what does that mean? What are the consequences?

● Warming is leads to other changes in the atmosphere and ocean—this is climate change
 ● We are already seeing warming leading to wilder weather and rising seas

● So far, we’ve been talking about average temperatures (global or averaged over many

years).

● But small shifts in the average temperatures lead to a large increase in extreme heat

events and decreases in extreme cold.

● Climate change doesn’t mean that every day is warmer or that cold days won’t happen

● What it does mean is that warmer days are more likely.

● We can see this in <LOCATION>

● In a world without additional warming, the cold and warm years would average

out over time

● But we are seeing more daily record highs than lows in recent decades

● Milder climates are getting less snow as temperatures are more frequently above

freezing

● Late fall and early spring snow on the decline in majority of locations

● Cold climates (where temps still below freezing) can get more snow, with more moisture

in the atmosphere than in decades past

In some mountain locations, more winter precipitation falling as rain instead of snow, leading to

Western water problems

● The influence of warming on ice and water is especially apparent in colder regions like

Alaska and Greenland

● Melting glaciers and ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are a growing part of sea

level rise

● Many glaciers--huge rivers of ice, are melting quickly

● Imagery shows changes of Bear Glacier (Kenai Fjords National Park – South Central

Alaska) in just 7 years

● So far, we’ve been talking about land, but the oceans play a critical role in climate
 ● Oceans absorb heat and ocean currents redistribute that heat around the world

● Ocean temperatures have risen across most of the globe in the last century

● 93% of additional planetary warming has gone into the global oceans, primarily at the

ocean’s surface

● One of the most important parts of climate change is the relationship between

temperature and the amount of water vapor in the air

● A warmer atmosphere holds more water vapor--this is why it is humid in the summer

● An increase in temperature allows more evaporation into the atmosphere from surfaces

(oceans, lakes, soils, plants), so more water is available in storms--and remember, most

of our globe is water

● This effectively supercharges the water cycle, increasing the amount of rain and snow in

heavy precipitation events but also leading to larger, longer droughts in certain regions

● Key message: wet areas or wet seasons get wetter, dry areas or dry seasons get drier.

Increased potential for extremes in both directions.

● The other side of Serious is that wilder weather, rising seas, and other aspects of climate

change impact the people, places, and things that we care about

○ Nature

○ Our health

○ Our economy

SOLVABLE

● Climate change is serious, but we have power to act - solutions already exist

● If we stay on the high emissions path, the world gets more expensive and dangerous

● If we choose to reduce emissions, the impacts are more manageable and less costly

● It won’t be easy, but we can do it.

● Most estimates suggest we need to stabilize CO2 levels by 2050 – Meaning:

○ Must reduce emissions quickly

○ Some potential to remove CO2 from the atmosphere

● How do we do it? We need to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

● In the US, greenhouse gases are largely from transportation and electricity generation

● There are other important sources, notably industry, buildings, and agriculture

● We already have solutions to reduce emissions from these sectors

● One of the most important steps: we need to generate a lot of electricity without

releasing CO2

● Much of the country is well-suited for renewable energy

● Southwest US is a climatologically sunny location, so high potential for solar

● Front Range of the Rockies and Plains are climatologically windy locations

● The renewable energy sector is growing and further growth will create new jobs

● Because we know how to produce electricity from renewable sources, we can use that

energy to move us around

● We need to convert cars, buses, trains, and other modes of transportation from fossil

fuels (internal combustion engine) to running on clean electricity

● Electric vehicles are getting better and cheaper every year, battery capacity is growing,

and there are more places to charge them

● EVs are much simpler to maintain--just change the tires!

● We use energy to heat and cool our buildings

● Architecture and building design can increase energy efficiency, requiring less energy for

daily operation

● Simple things like improving insulation save money and energy and increase comfort
● Electric heat pumps are efficient replacements for natural gas or oil heating systems.

They also cool in the summer

● We can reduce emissions through farming practices, while also creating better crops

● Better agriculture practices can lower methane emissions (another potent greenhouse

gas) from rice farming and from raising sheep and cows

● Reducing tilling or planting cover crops can keep carbon, water, and important nutrients

in the soils

● Composting food waste reduces methane emissions from landfills and recycles fertilizer

back to crops

● Plants take CO2 out of the atmosphere and convert it into plant tissue

● Productive ecosystems like grasslands, wetlands, peatlands, and forests can

accumulate carbon in soils and plants

● Maintaining and protecting these areas from development will prevent carbon from

entering the atmosphere, while also helping to absorb and filter flood waters

● Coastal wetlands also help buffer flooding

● Trees are an especially powerful climate solution

● Trees suck carbon out of the atmosphere and store it in their roots and trunks

● Trees reduce storm runoff and absorb air pollution

● Trees also provide shade, cooling neighborhoods and cities

● Example slide above is individual site data aggregated up to the national scale

● To stay close to 1.5°C (2.7°F) of warming, we need to make big changes and we need to

do them quickly.

● We have made big changes in the past

○ Indoor plumbing & electricity improved daily life and made cities safer
 ○ The space age ushered in new technologies and computing advances – and

provided satellite data that helped us learn more about the environment

○ The internet and mobile phones have transformed our world in only a few

decades – with instant communication over vast distances

● Reducing emissions is a win-win. These changes create jobs and new industries, keep

us safer, and limit future expenses from disasters.

● In summary and review – climate change is simple… serious… but it is solvable

● It is simple--well established science

● It is serious--already feeling impacts and they are accelerating

● But, it’s solvable--we know what we need to do, solutions already exist, and it will make

life better
Name : Soria, Myla A.
Subject : MPA 311: Seminar in Trends and Issues in Public Administration
Professor : Dr. Jovan L. Cornelia

RISK REDUCTION

Risk reduction refers to identifying and implementing measures to reduce the chances of

damage from a particular activity or situation. This can involve identifying potential hazards,

implementing safety measures, and developing contingency plans to mitigate the impact of

unexpected events.

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION MANAGEMENT

This is the application of disaster risk reduction policies and strategies to prevent new disaster

risk reduce existing disaster risk and manage residual risk, contributing to the strengthening of

resilience and reduction of disaster losses.

CATEGORIES AND TYPES OF DISASTERS

Geophysical Hydrological Meteorological Climatological Biological Man-made

Earthquakes Flooding Heat waves Drought Epidemic Terrorism

Volcanic activity Landslides Lightning Wildfire Pandemic Fire

Tsunamis Typhoons Accidents

Storm Surge
5R’S OF RISK MANAGEMENT

READINESS - This is about being prepared before a risk materializes. This involves identifying

potential risks and creating plans to address them.

RESPONSE - This refers to the actions you take immediately after a risk occurs. Quick and

effective response can minimize damage and set the stage for recovery.

REDUCTION - This involves taking steps to lower the likelihood or impact of risks. This can be

done through safety measures, training, and technology.

RECOVERY - This focuses on restoring normal operations as quickly as possible after a risk

event. Effective recovery plans include steps to rebuild, repair, and return to normalcy.

REVIEW - It is the process of evaluating what went right and what went wrong after a risk event.

This helps to improve future risk management plans.

IMPORTANCE OF RISK MANAGEMENT

 It ensures that you are never caught off guard. By having plans in place, you can act

swiftly and effectively.

 It minimizes the immediate impact of a risk. Quick actions can prevent a bad situation

from getting worse.

 It lowers the chances of risks occurring in the first place. Preventative measures save

time, money, and resources.

 It gets you back to normal operations quickly. Efficient recovery plan reduces downtime

and financial losses.

 It strengthens your risk management system. Learning from past events helps to build

better plans for future risks.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS TIPS

safety announcements or instructions.

 Have an emergency bag ready and plan your evacuation route so you’re prepared if

leaving the area becomes necessary.

 Stock up on food, clean water, medicine, flashlight, battery, powerbanks and other

emergency supplies.

 Keep a record of emergency contact numbers such as your local or national Disaster

Risk Reduction offices, Police and Fire Departments, and your local government units.

 Prepare your family members on what to do for every disaster especially your children.

NATIONAL DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT COUNCIL

Formerly known as the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) until August 2011, is a

working group of various government, non-government, civil sector and private sector

organizations of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines established on June 11,

1978 by Presidential Decree 1566. It is administered by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) under

the Department of National Defense (DND).

The council is responsible for ensuring the protection and welfare of the people during disasters

or emergencies. The NDRRMC plans and leads the guiding activities in the field of

communication, warning signals, emergency, transportation, evacuation, rescue, engineering,

health and rehabilitation, public education and auxiliary services such as firefighting and the

police in the country.

Caloocan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office – aims to become the premier

disaster management office in the city. Its mission includes instilling a culture of preparedness,

coordinating disaster response efforts, raising risk awareness, strengthening disaster

management capacities, and providing relief. The office facilitates emergency response, training

requests, and information sharing to support frontline disaster services.