WWF: Cebu dev’t plans need to be climate change-proofed

Metro Cebu needs to formulate a development plan that addresses its high exposure to climate change and environmental hazards.

To better adapt to these hazards, Metro Cebu should invest in a “broader and sustainable multi-city plan,” said Angela Ibay, head of the Climate and Energy Programme of the international conservation organization WWF.

A 2012 study by the WWF and the Bank of the Philippine Islands Foundation entitled “Business Risk Assessment and the Management of Climate Change Impacts” which was conducted in eight cities, including Cebu City, across the country, find Metro Cebu exposed to all six “climate scenario” namely, 1) El Niño; 2) Sea surface temperature rise between 1 to 4 degrees Celsius; 3) Ocean acidification; 4) Sea level rise from four to six meters; 5) tropical cyclones becoming more intense; and 6) Increased precipitation resulting in above normal rainfall which could trigger floods and landslides.

Ibay said that risks like sea level rise may indicate the need to invest in a second airport, noting that the Mactan Cebu International Airport is situated near the sea.

“We should be more proactive and manage our weather and land use,” Ibay said.

She added that Metro Cebu should require investments in “climate smart” infrastructure and technology, including a long-term plan and development model that will “disperse and diffuse climate risk.”

She stated the importance of a “united political leadership with public private partnerships and business friendly policies and regulations” as solutions for success.

The study also indicated that although, Cebu City’s elevation is 18 meters above sea level on the average, “several districts of the old city are barely 1 to 2 meters ASL (above sea level).”

The study also warned that Cebu City “will likely find itself caught in a ‘climate sandwich’ as saltwater intrusion advances further, sea levels rise and more intense typhoons lask the coastline with storm surge.”

Ibay presented these at the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) Roadshow.

The NCC project aims to provide key stakeholders from the business sectors and the local government an understanding on governance, site-specific business vulnerabilities, risk and opportunities.