Duterte demands climate justice from developed nations as PH suffers brunt of climate change

MANILA, Philippines — As the Philippines was getting battered by Typhoon Ulysses, President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday urged developed nations to cut their carbon emissions in a bid to combat the effects of climate change.

Duterte made the call to further enhance cooperation on disaster risk reduction management during a plenary session of member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), following the catastrophic effects left by a series of typhoons that recently visited the country.

“We must amplify our voices to demand climate justice from those most responsible for this existential challenge we face today. Developed countries must lead in deep and drastic cuts in carbon emissions. They must act now, or it would be too late. Or if I may add, it is too late,” Duterte said.

“This is their moral responsibility from which there should be no escape. Otherwise, it would be great injustice – a double blow to those who bear the brunt of the adverse consequences of their past actions and present inactions,” he added.

Duterte mentioned the recent Typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni) that left in its wake damages to infrastructure and agriculture amounting to billion of pesos, and the Ulysses that has yet to exit the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).

“More than two weeks ago, the Philippines was battered by Typhoon Goni – and if I must tell you, we are now suffering in the midst of the storm of Typhoon Ulysses. There is great damage and I may not be around to attend further in this regard for I have to go around and see what I can do for my people,” said the President.

“With timely disaster preparedness measures, we were able to save many lives. But the typhoon left a trail of destruction in infrastructure and property… This calamity is yet another stark reminder of the urgency of collective action to combat the effects of climate change,” he claimed.

Typhoon Rolly left at least 20 people dead and displaced thousands of families after it hit parts of the Bicol region and Southern Luzon.

Meanwhile, Typhoon Ulysses caused flooding in several areas of Metro Manila and other provinces. It is forecast to leave the Philippines by Friday morning.

Project NOAH

The government’s response to calls for a more accurate and responsive disaster prevention and mitigation system, especially in high-risk areas throughout the Philippines, however, was put in the spotlight, especially with the shutdown of the Department of Science and Technology’s Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards).

In February, 2017, Project NOAH folded up due to a supposed lack of funds, its executive director Mahar Lagmay said, though funding had been a problem even before the start of the Duterte administration.

The University of the Philippines however adopted the project to able to continue its work, starting with the setup of a new Noah center on the UP Diliman campus. Its mission included doing research in disaster science, advancing the use of technology in forecasting, and helping government information campaigns on disaster mitigation.

EDV