Climate Change and Sustainability of a Developing Country (Essay Sample)

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Climate Change and Sustainability of a Developing Country
INTRODUCTION
Climate change alias global warming is a long term change of the distribution of weather patterns over time, ranging from decades to hundreds of years ago. It is the warming of the planet, and it is one of the worst environmental challenges being faced today. Various human activities cause climate change.
According to Daniel (21), global warming is real and it is happening. It is happening as a result of the accumulation of certain gases known as greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The most dominant of these gases is carbon dioxide which is produced from combustion of coal, natural gas, and oil in factories and power plants. Large scale deforestation also causes global warming. High levels of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere traps heat thus making the earth warm (Chris 20).
The reality of global warming in action can be manifested in melting ice, rising sea levels, drying of coral reefs, prolonged droughts, and changing ecosystems (Mark 70). Global warming has a wide range of impacts, some which are long term (for example sea level rise) and others short term such as floods. More than 170 000 people die every year as a result of climate change (Mark 90).
Climate change is a very significant issue in the world. It is for this reason that the whole world has concern about it. Developing nations are the ones that are more affected by the impact of climate change. In the recent years, disasters related to weather such as hurricanes, floods, and heavy rains have hit countries like Philippines, India, Vietnam, Thailand and Korea (Neil 214).
This research is all about climate change issues and impact on Philippine country. It covers all climate related issues, including the way it has affected the people of Philippine. The paper also encompasses the adaptation and mitigation measures being tackled by the Philippine government in conjunction with other international organizations to control the situation.
ABOUT PHILIPPINES
Philippine is a developing country in South East Asia of more than 700 islands. The total number of people living in Philippine is approximately 99 million. It is in the seventh position in Asia continent in terms of population. Philippines culture combines the Western and Eastern cultures. It is a multi-cultural country having Muslim and Christians. Philippines is a very diverse state with more than 80 languages (Charlie 410).
The economy of Philippines is ranked 40th in the in the globe according to statistics by the International Monetary Fund. It is one of the new emerging markets. Agriculture sector contributes 13% of the Philippines GDP. It employs about 32% of the total workers in Philippines. The country is the eighth rice producer and the number one coconut producer in the world.
Education in Philippines has been greatly influenced by its colonial history. Philippines offers education through formal and non-formal systems, with 6-4-4 structure. Illiteracy is an issue in Philippines. Lack of quality education is a threat to economic growth.
The climate of Philippines is tropical, with February to May being the hottest months (summer). The coolest months are November to January. The average temperature ranges from 25oC to 32oC. The country experiences long drought during most of the summer seasons. It is also prone to disasters such as floods, earthquakes, landslides, and tsunamis.
Philippines is faced by various environmental issues due to climate change. It is a hotspot for many climate related disasters. There is a risk to agriculture and food security in the country because of these challenges.
SEA LEVEL RISE (SRL) IN PHILIPPINES
Sea level rise is the gradual increase in the water level of the world’s oceans. It is one of the harsh consequences of climate. Global sea levels are presently rising at a rate of 3.3 millimeters per year, which is double the average during the 20th century. This rate of sea level rise is alarming. Sea level rise has causes a number of socio-economic and ecological effects on the affected countries.
There are two major causes of sea level rise: high temperatures and melting of glaciers and ice sheets (Daniel 90). High temperature due to climate change raises the temperature of water in the oceans and thus expands in a process known as thermal expansion. High level of accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere causes a rapid increase of the temperature. On the other hand, melting of ice sheets and glaciers causes an increase in the volume of water in the oceans.
Philippine is among the countries that are affected by sea level rise. High sea levels are making the Philippines' coastal populations more susceptible to storm surges. When the sea level rises, there is a likelihood of storm hitting the land at the coastal regions. As the sea water inundates reaching farther inland, it causes flooding of wetlands, erosion, and contamination of soils and fresh water.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report shows that all coastal areas in Asia Philippians included are facing an increasing risk of deterioration of both the social and environmental coastal systems. The projected future sea level rise could inundate the low lying coastal areas, drowning the coastal marshes and wetlands. Inundation could also increase the level of salinity in the rivers and aquifers, impacting negatively on the marine ecosystem.
Unfortunately, Philippines like many other countries which are susceptible to sea level rise do not have the necessary resources to prepare for it. Many people live in the coastal areas, and the country does not have enough land at highlands to accommodate displaced coastal habitats.
NATURAL CALAMITIES IN PHILIPPINES
Over past decades, millions of Filipinos have been faced by natural calamities, such as earthquakes, floods, typhoons, and volcanic eruptions. It is prone to all the natural disasters because of its physical environment and geographical location. Philippine is located in the famous ring of fire of Pacific Ocean, with a coastline of more than 36 000 kilometers. Due to this, it is highly susceptible to the natural impacts of climate change. Daniel (50) asserts that Philippines is known to be one of the most disaster hot-spot countries in the world, with 51% of its total area prone to natural disaster (Gornall 25).
One of the most notable disasters that occurred in Philippines is the Super Typhoon (Typhoon Haiyan) that occurred in 2006. It was an intense tropical cyclone that caused mudslide from the Mayon Volcano in the island of Samar. The mudslide buried many people, and in the event, more than 10 000 perished (Chris 20). More than 2 500 people are still missing since that event took place. According to Chris (21), the death toll continues to rise as more people in the areas that were left isolated after the storm still dies today. Such typhoons are too frequent in the Philippines since it is located along the ring of fire along the Pacific Ocean.
Just three weeks before the Typhoon Haiyan hit Philippines, an earthquake had hit the same area. An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 killed 220 people and displaced more than 350 000.
Another natural disaster that Philippines has faced recently is the Bohol earthquake which occurred in October 2013. It took place in Bohol Island in central Visayas. A total of 222 people died and 970 got injured, and more than 10 people were missing. The earthquake destroyed 73 000 structures in Bohol, and of these, 14 000 were totally damaged. Bohol earthquake is the most deadly earthquake in Philippines in a period of twenty three years. The energy that was liberated during the incidence was equivalent to 30 Hiroshima bombs (Charlie 212).
This impact of the quake was felt in many parts of Visayas Island with the biggest in Sagbayan. The aftershocks of this earthquake still continue to rattle Bohol. Many residents of Bohol were left without enough drinking water and sanitary necessities after the quake. As a result, life-threatening health issues arose such as cases of many water-borne diseases.
Over the past two decades, Philippine has had close to 300 disasters ranging from floods to landslides to volcanic eruptions to tsunamis. Disasters are becoming more severe because of climate change.
PROJECTIONS BY IPCC ON CLIMATE
IPCC is the abbreviation for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It is an international organization that was established in 1988 whose mandate is to assess the scientific and technical reports on climate change in an objective and transparent way.
According to a recent report by IPCC, the future climate of Philippines shall continue to adversely affect human health. Increase in endemic mortality due to water-borne diseases such as diarrhea is expected in the country. Increase in temperature of the coastal water would exacerbate the toxicity of cholera in Philippines in the near future due to climate change.
It is also projected that extreme temperature events in Philippines is most likely to become more frequent in the future. Heavy rainfall is also expected to continue becoming more frequent especially in Visayas, but in some other areas rainfall is projected to be very scarce. In the regions where rainfall is projected to decrease, there will be water stress.
The projected water stress in both quantity and quality is likely to affect agriculture, forestry, health and human settlement. Lack of water for long periods is likely to affect energy production in the dams, and consequently, could affect the energy sufficiency in the Philippines.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has projected that agriculture in Philippines could be adversely affected by the projected temperature changes together with the changes in rain patterns. Decreased fa...