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Big Picture in Focus: ULO h. Comply to global and national

initiatives towards a sustainable planet.

Metalanguage

The most essential terms below are operationally defined for you to have a better
understanding of this section in the course.

1.Sustainability development goals- It is also known as the Global Goals adopted by the
United Nations which were adopted in 2015 as a worldwide call to action to end poverty,
safeguard the environment, and ensure that by 2030, everyone lives in peace and prosperity.
2. Gross National Product-refers to the entire value of all finished goods and services
generated by a country's population in a particular financial year, regardless of their location
3. Gross Domestic Product- refers to the standard measure of the value added created by
the production of goods and services in a country during a certain period

Essential Knowledge
Here, we take it a step further and explore sustainable development, a concept
founded on social, economic, and environmental dimensions. Sustainable development is the
underlying theme in the initiatives to save the planet and ourselves. In this chapter, we look at
the historical record of global initiatives to promote sustainable development as well as the
national responses in the Philippine context.

Sustainable development
With a current burgeoning population of 7.5 billion people on planet Earth, and still with
a limitless biological/reproductive potential, pushing and advocating for sustainability of
ecosystems becomes our only option Sustainability runs parallel and supports the prevailing
natural laws and principles such as the finiteness of our resources including vital energy
sources, the balance of nature, and symbiosis between plants and animals including man In
environmental science, we focus on the survival of human beings as a process that is
dependent on the fulfillment of basic physiological needs such as food, water, air, land, and
climate. The status of these factors in turn relies on the sustainability of ecosystems, and
hence we come full circle as per the condition of the environment and human survival.

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Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs

We reiterate here that this concept has had an evolution of definition based on
historical perspectives. In simple terms, sustainability is a physical concept based on
biologically renewable resources such as fisheries, forests, and groundwater, and their
defined physical limits to exploitation. In a social physical-economic perspective, sustainability
means including the proper management of resources through regulation of the rate of flow of
the product. For example, management should ensure that groundwater pumping rates do not
exceed the ability of the aquifers to replenish themselves. A more complex example is forest
exploitation or the cutting trees. It could occur in a sustainable manner (trees cut down could
be replaced by an equal number of replants). However, associated impacts that may not be
sustainable should be considered and factored in as well such as the increased soil erosion
and sedimentation, altered water yield, and impacts on wildlife habitat and biodiversity Case
in point, sustainability is applied broadly encompassing not only the biophysical context but
also including broader socioeconomic aspects of resource exploitation

THE CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENT

To understand better what sustainable development is, let us first define the concept
of development. It is useful to adopt a simple but comprehensive concept of development,
which is basically the sustained capacity to achieve a better life. This quality of life involves
the capacity "to be" (e.g., to be educated, to be healthy and well-nourished, and to be secure
from harm) and the capacity "to do" (e.g., to do productive and creative work, and to participate
in community affairs, to bear and rear the desired number of children, and to travel in search
of economic and social opportunities).

As to what specific components of this better life are, development could be said and
to subscribe to the following threefold objectives:

• to have more access to basic life-sustaining goods be it food, shelter, health, and
protection,
• to have a higher level of living achieved through obtaining good education, having more
job options and chances for higher income, and living in a civilized society that values
cultural and human well-being, and

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• to expand the range of economic and social choices, in effect liberating the individuals
and the nations as a whole from slavery and dependence.

In the context of this definition of development, we now understand the importance of the many
interrelated factors social, economic, and environment necessary in the attainment of
development or a better life. For example, economic growth (or sustained increases in Gross
National Product or GNP per capita) is not development but is an important means of
achieving that better life, GNP is nothing more than a bundle of goods and services. If this is
what people consume, it helps them achieve all those abilities and capacities that they are
seeking. The higher the rate of economic growth, the higher the rate of per capita income
increases, and the more goods and services are available for consumption.
Therefore, stable economic growth, income equality, employment, reduction of
poverty, access to services such as health, nutrition, and education are means to help achieve
the end or object of development a better life or well-being However, these processes involve
major changes in social structures, institutions, and attitudes and are facilitated or constrained
by certain givens such as religion, culture and tradition, politics, etc. But these given could
change over time in the process of achieving a better life.

Who then determines what better life is? The person herself or himself, depending on
her or his needs and wants, within the context of societal norms. Since there may be a wide
range of needs and wants, there is a hierarchy of values related to how we define better life
for example, some people or countries might have reached a stage in their development
process where certain values are no longer as important as others. For instance, for some
developed countries that have already reached high levels of income, the question of
consumption of goods and services is no longer a critical problem So now, they are more
concerned with the environment, the conservation of certain species of plants and animals
and other finer things in life. Whereas, for developing countries still grappling with some of the
necessities of life, the concern for economic growth and the production and consumption of
more goods and services, especially social services, are still important.

MEASURING DEVELOPMENT

Traditional ideas of development are focused on production Very often, the ideas that
are immediately associated with development are credit, machinery, exports, and imports, or
and competitiveness in the world market. Generally, development has been, and still is, closely
associated by many people with overall material growth, with the market value of economic
output or GNP, the quantitative translation of the total output of all the final goods and services.
However, GNP does not reflect social considerations like who benefits from such
output, who bears the cost of production, what environmental resources may have been
destroyed, whether ultimate human purposes may have been served, or how long the
production stream can last The GNP or consumption per head does not measure the
conditions in which people live. It hides inequalities within a country. Take for instance Saudi
Arabia, it may have a high GDP per capita but there is a vast gap between the rich and the
poor within the country. While often understood as having the same meaning, growth and
development are different Development is more encompassing than growth since it considers
the long-term perspective of a sustained increase in production, plus a continuous adjustment
and response to constantly changing situations, in addition, development considers the
stability in the growth process.

The Sustainable Development Paradigm

As the concept of sustainability gathered momentum, there was a consequent shift in

paradigm of economic development from the exploitative-extractive development to the

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environment-friendly sustainable development perspective. In real terms, the twin pillars of

sustainable development are respect and concern for people and ho ecosystems. In simple
terms, sustainable simply means "lasting." It is a term that denotes maintenance, perpetuation,
and continuance. Sustainable development therefore refers to development which pursues a
path that is lasting and continuing.

Development is likely to be sustainable if it fulfills two conditions it improves the quality

of human life and it conserves the planet's vitality and diversity. The former banks on the role
of economic growth in improving the quality of life as measured by health, education, quality
of living, political freedom, human rights, and freedom from violence.

The latter is focused on the conservation of the structure, function, and diversity of
the world's ecosystems on which humans rely on. To this end, the following measures
should be considered
• Conservation of the life-support systems, primarily the biogeochemical cycles, the
recycling of essential elements, and the cleansing and regulation of air, water, and
land
• Conservation of biological diversity which includes all species of flora, fauna, and
microorganisms as well as the range and variety of ecosystems.
• Sustainable use of renewable resources such as forests, agricultural lands, marine
and freshwater resources, and domesticated and wildlife resources.
• Minimize the depletion of nonrenewable resources such as fossil fuels gas, and coal)
and mineral resources.
• Keeping within the earth's carrying capacity by controlling production and reigning in
consumption and waste generation

To achieve sustainable development, strategies must be put in place as integrators of

socio-economic and ecological perspectives and of the policies, plans, and programs of
interacting sectors and interest groups. The general principle of sustainable development
adopted by the World Conference on

Environment and Development (WCED) and has become widely accepted and endorsed
is: "Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is not a fixed state of harmony, but
rather a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments,
the orientation of technological development and institutional change are made consistent with
future as well as present needs " Sustainable development is economic and social activity
which protects and enhances the Earth's resources and environment.

Sustainable development

Social Objectives-
Empowerment, Participation, Ecological Objectives- Ecosystern
Economic Objectives- Growth,
Social mobility, Social cohesion, integrity, Carrying capacity,
Equity and Efficiency
Cultural identity and Institutional Biodiversity andGlobal issues
development

Three objectives to be integrated for sustainable development

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The three sets of objectives need to be integrated for sustainable development.

Although emphasis to each set of objectives may differ, these varying points of view need to
converge before sustainable development can be achieved. A specific concern is that the
people who currently live on the fruits of development today may be putting the future
generations in a situation where resources are seriously degraded and the environment,
polluted. Sustainable development involves a process of change that does not increase
poverty, degrade the environment, and leave future generations worse off.

DIMENSIONS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable development involves undergoing a dynamic process in which utilizing the

available resources of the planet and the activities involved in harnessing these activities are
directed towards meeting the needs and aspirations of the human population, at present and
in the future.
While natural resources and environment is the focus of attention, sustainable
development is not only concerned with proper management of natural ecosystems.
Sustainable development integrates social and economic dimensions. Thus, it must also be
understood in terms of action programs which are aimed at:
• eradicating poverty,
• getting rid of bureaucratic inefficiencies,
• promoting transparency in administration and decision-making.
• promoting entrepreneurship and provision of opportunities for small-scale enterprises.
• designing and operating efficient tax systems;
• promoting access to education and other basic services,
• empowering community organizations and implementing mechanisms for popular
participation, and
• promotion of a just and humane society.

These are concerns that even come before those that relate to natural resource management.
They are prerequisites to the effective implementation of technical solutions to environmental
problems.

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Sustainability corresponds to the nexus among the three dimensions of sustainable.

The Economic Dimension

This deals with the production and consumption of economic goods and the provision
of economic services. Traditionally, development has always been gauged through increased
profits and income of societies. The increases in economic welfare are not gained in ways that
limit future possibilities unfairly or unnecessarily. This really means enhancing the maximum
productivity of economic processes. Hand in hand with this is finding ways of limiting the
continuous use of new resources such as promoting the use of recycled products.

Sustainable development also involves more equitable access to resources so that the
poor will not be obliged to use already limited or endangered resources for their livelihood.
With this, protection will not only be made for such resources but even for areas that have
already undergone much resource damage, as both situations further increase pressures on
the environment.
The Social Dimension

Improvement of health care, education, and social well-being is the goal. Men, women,
and children are the center of attention with development sought for the sake of people, not
people for the sake of development

Sustainable development assumes that the main resource for development is the creative
initiative of people and that the main purpose of development is their well-being not only in
material but also in spiritual terms. Communities that have existed through decades, especially
in the upland areas, even where people may be poor, have developed ingenious strategies of
survival Examples include the sustainable shifting cultivation and family farm management
systems of the indigenous tribe Igorots. These strategies are recognized, and measures are
sought to enhance the ability of communities to find solutions to their own problems.
Since people are the focus, sustainable development acknowledges that if people are

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not meeting their own needs, or if they are degrading their own environment, there must be
hindrances to such phenomena. Such hindrances may also be social, cultural, or educational
in nature and not just economic. Efforts must be undertaken to identify and remove those
hindrances.
Local people participate and involve themselves in decisions that affect their lives.
Sustainable development is, thus, concerned not only about the way that the environment and
natural resources are managed but likewise who has the power how these should be
managed. Thus, it is important to promote efforts at enabling local governments and
communities to have more appreciation of, accountability for, and benefits from resources
within their jurisdiction.

The Environmental Dimension

Efforts are undertaken to protect the natural resources needed for food production and
cooking fuels from soils to woodlots to fisheries, while expanding production to meet the needs
of growing populations. This means more efficient use of arable lands and water supplies, as
well as development and adoption of improved agricultural practices and technologies to
increase yields.

Renewable natural resources are used in a way that their ability to be used continually
is not eliminated or degraded and the stocks of soil, groundwater, and biomass (e.g., organic
material that has accumulated within an ecosystem) are being maintained effectively
Sustainable development critically depends on the natural resource systems or physical
resources that ultimately support economic activities.

Managing natural resources in the context of sustainable development should thus

avoid depletion of the resource base and engage in legitimate exploitation that provide long-
term resource use. The approach to natural resource systems should not be one of creating
restraints on development. True, it is inevitable that for development to be successful, some
activities like land cleaning, oil drilling, river damming, and swamp draining will have to be
entailed. However, this does not mean depleting the earth's natural resources and the life
support capabilities of its ecosystem.

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Using solar panels to capture energy and generate electric power

The Global Initiatives for Sustainability

1) WCED, 1987- The World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED),

otherwise known as the Brundtland Commission (named after its chairman, Gro
Brunddland), and created by the United Nations in 1983, carefully examined the nature
and possible consequences of the environmental threats that confront people in the
world, considering the interrelationships of people, resources, and the environment.
From this analytical stance, a paradigm shift evolved from the traditional path of
economic development to a development that was geared for sustainability.

The commission also suggested in their report entitled Our Common Future seven
major proposals for sustainable development as follows:
• revive economic growth,
• change the quality of growth.
• meet basic needs of food, water, employment, energy, and sanitation.
• ensure a sustainable level of population,
• conserve and enhance resources.
• reorienting technology and manage risks, and
• put environment and economics in decision-making

2) UNCED (EARTH SUMMIT), 1992- The United Nations Conference on Environment

and Development, more popularly known as the Earth Summit, brought together more
than 30,000 government officials, opinion makers, representatives of various
nongovernment organizations, and official observers, including 110 heads of state.
Through UNCED, a broad array of resolutions and principles were formulated

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addressing various environment development concerns. Governments, development

agencies, and independent sector groups agreed to sign what is now known as the
Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. They also agreed to implement a
comprehensive program of action from then until the 21st century, thus the nickname
Agenda 21. For nearly twenty years before this, there had already been a growing call
for development to be promoted in ways that are sustainable and environmentally
sound.

The UNICED had the following outcomes:

i. Agenda 21
The Earth Summit enabled governments to formulate a plan of action to arrest
further environmental degradation on a world-wide scale for the 21st century
and called this report as the Agenda 21. It was a detailed document which
spelled out a program for sustainable development. It summarized all the major
issues raised during the UNCED that should serve as eye-opener to the various
strategies that may be applied by individual governments to achieve
sustainable development in their respective countries and were classified into
four main groups as follows:
a. Social and economic development international cooperation, poverty,
population, health, settlements, sustainable consumption, and
integration of environment and development
b. Resource management atmosphere, land resource planning,
deforestation, mountains, fragile ecosystems, biodiversity,
biotechnologies, oceans, freshwater, toxic and hazardous wastes, solid
wastes, sewage, and radioactive wastes
c. Strengthening the participation of major groups vulnerable peoples,
NGOs, local, national, and international governments
d. Means of implementation finance, institutions, technology transfer,
sciences, education, capacity building, international institutions, law,
and information for decision-making

Most of what was agreed in the Earth Summit by way of Agenda 21 and the
Rio Declaration was not new to the environmental community. In fact,
roughly 95 percent of Agenda 21, which deals with a broad range of issues
from forestry management to the protection of freshwater resources and
from science for sustainable development to atmospheric protection, had
been defined in other separate fora and documents. Agenda 21 brought
most of the major environment and development issues under one roof.
The Principles of Forest Management and the Rio Declaration on
Environment and Development were well-meaning broad statements of
good intentions, while Agenda 21 was a voluminous document detailing a
plan of action.

ii. Convention on Biological Diversity

The Convention on Biodiversity is a legally binding document signed by 155
countries which seeks to conserve biodiversity, species, and ecosystems. The
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimated that there may be
up to 30 million species in the world, of which only 1.5 million have been
described and up to 25% of the total may face extinction. Up to 100 species a
day may become extinct. Some developed countries such as the USA refused
to sign as they feared it would restrict their biotechnology industry.

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iii. Framework Convention on Climate Change

The Framework on climatic change was signed by 153 countries. The more
economically developed countries agreed to stabilize their emissions of
greenhouse gases to 1990 levels. The less developed countries argue that they
should not be prevented from developing and therefore had to fuel rapid
economic growth. The convention has translated into a decline of the coal
industries and a shift to energy sources that creates less emissions.

THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGS), 2000

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were adopted by 189 members. countries
of the United Nations in September 2000, as they committed themselves to making substantial
progress toward the eradication of poverty and achieving other human development goals by
2015. The MDGs reflected strong resolve to ending global poverty and acknowledged the
multidimensional nature of development and poverty alleviation. It stated the roles of
governments and citizens of the rich countries needed to play their part in pursuit of the goal
of "global partnership for development" such as increased aid, removal of trade and
investment barriers, and eliminating unsustainable debts of the poorest nations.

Retrieved from: https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/oda/white/2014/html/topics/topics01.html

The eight goals, as mentioned above, were ambitious. Appropriately, the first MDG
addresses the problem of extreme poverty and hunger. The two targets for this goal are more

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modest: to reduce by half the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day and to reduce
by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. It was envisaged that "halving poverty"
is a touchstone for the MDGs that to achieve this target, progress must be made on the other
goals as well.

Fifteen years hence, the Millennium Development Goals were assessed as to the
success achieved by their identified targets. It was found that significant progress has been
achieved in several areas. The results showed a slow and uneven progress across the goals,
particularly in Africa, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small
island developing states, and some of the MDGs remain off-track, those related to maternal,
newborn, and child health and to reproductive health. The MDGs gave way to an expanded
version of global goals in 2015, dubbed was the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to
continue in the growth and transformation of our planet Earth.

Infographic summarizing the eight Millennium Development Goals

THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS), 2015

In September 2015, following on the post-MDG era, the United Nations adopted an
expanded set of goals meant as a to-do list for nations to solve the prevailing social, economic,
and environmental problems plaguing the planet. The SDGs cover a much broader range of
challenges than the MDGs, most of which are relevant and applicable to all countries or
vulnerable groups within countries. The 17 goals seek to emphasize the interlinkages between
the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, as well as
between the goals themselves, include targets devoted to mobilizing the means required to
implement the SDGs, such as partnerships, financing, and enabling policies; and recognize
that addressing the challenges of the SDGs is everybody's responsibility and explicitly call on
business, civil society, and the tertiary and academic sectors among others to collaborate on
the achievement of the SDGs. The 2030 Agenda synthesizes and integrates the extent and
complexity of the world's: development issues by identifying five key themes for action people,
planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships.

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Retrieved from: Azote Images for Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University

This is a key challenge to the integrated approach that balances environmental, social,
and economic objectives. The purpose of a global development agenda is not to prescribe
development strategies, but to provide guidance for priority setting Transforming our world
towards ecosystem sustainability entails the integration of objectives for people, planet, and
prosperity, fostering peaceful, just, and inclusive societies through a new global partnership.

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The 2030 Agenda Five critical components (Source: UN website)

The Sustainable Development Goals are a prescription for progress for all countries
National governments are enjoined to incorporate the goals and their targets into their own
transformation and growth plans. Firstly however, they need to be disseminated and
understood properly. The proper appreciation of the SDGs should give rise to appropriate
actions that need to be taken to achieve them. As it stands, there seems to be no other
alternatives towards a more equitable and sustainable planet. SDGs are a challenge for the
entire world. The 2030 Agenda may seem quite ambitious, but the benefits do more than offset
the risks. To achieve the projected gains from the SDGs, action commitments, fruitful
collaboration, and the participation of all stakeholders are therefore deemed urgent and
important.

THE PARIS AGREEMENT, 2015

Foremost in global importance among the 17 SDGs is, "to take urgent action to combat
climate change and its impacts." This is the only goal that took the tone of most urgency
because of the destructive and inevitable global impacts, climate change has wrought on our
planet. Further, came the realization that the other goals would not be able to progress to its
fruition if climate change will not be addressed appropriately. Shortly after the SDGs were
formally adopted by the UN, another landmark global treaty was crafted in Paris in December.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). adopted during the Earth
Summit in 1992, signaled the entry climate change into the international political arena,
constituted by 195 member countries, it set to stabilize the atmospheric greenhouse gas
(GHG) concentration in order to avoid dangerous anthropogenic interferences in the climatic
system. Further, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an
agglomeration of around 2000 scientists and meteorologists from various nations who studied
the global data on climate change since the late 1980's, received the Nobel Prize in 2007 for

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making the unequivocal declaration that "Climate change is real" IPCC declared further that
the increased carbon dioxide emissions were mostly human-aggravated or human-induced.

The first UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP) was held in 1995 to review the
convention's implementation and was held in Berlin. COP 3 was held in Kyoto, Japan and
resulted to the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol and COP 17 gave rise to the Green Climate
Fund COP 19 in Warsaw, Poland, saw the adoption of the Intended Nationally Determined
Contributions (INDC) that countries can commit to lessen carbon emissions.

INDC's of countries were submitted to COP 20 in Lima, Peru where parties agreed on
INDC inclusions such as, quantifiable information on the reference point, periods of
implementation, scope and coverage, planning processes, assumptions and methodological
approaches, and how each party (country) considers that its INDC is fair and does not
compromise its own national development objectives. The INDC, based on assumptions, were
submitted by member-parties in 2015 in COP 20 in Lama, Peru. In COP 21 in Paris, the events
became historic, when the road map from INDC to NDC was officially adopted. From
intentions, it will now become hard commitments after due process INDCs will undergo review
recalculation, updating, and review from 2016-2019 by each member-party who ratifies this
agreement. By 2020, the reviewed and updated INDC will revert to become the Nationally
Determined Contribution (NDC) that the member-party commits to and at this time becomes
legally binding. The NDCs will go into review after every five years, after 2020, thus
necessitates that a robust Measurement, Reporting, and Verification system must be in place
providing for a stronger system for tracking commitments that allows flexibility for developing
nations.
The Philippines has signed the Paris Agreement and has committed to INDC features
of 70% reduction of emissions from the "business as usual" by 2030 in energy transport,
forestry, industry, and waste

Highlights of the Paris Agreement

Reduction target is conditional to the provision of the means of implementation the country will
receive finance, capacity building, and technology transfer).

Climate change adaptation is a priority Member-parties adaptation measures should involve

both the concepts of ecosystem and climate justice. Ecosystems should also be integrated in
nationally determined prioritized actions.

Parties agreed to maintain the 2°C temperature goals of the UNFCCC but provide ample
support to scale up efforts to meet the 15°C target, recognizing that limiting the temperature
increase to 1.5°C would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change

Inclusion of human rights in the negotiations is deemed beneficial especially to vulnerable

countries according to the concept of climate justice. Aside from human rights concepts such
as right to health, the right of indigenous people, local communities, migrants, children, PWDs,
and people exposed in vulnerable situations, the night to development, gender equality,
women empowerment, and intergenerational equity were also emphasized.

Parties subscribe to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Although, we

share the same atmosphere and is all affected and dependent to climatic pattern, parties also
recognize the differences in capacity, wealth, and resources of different nations. It was
established therefore that industrialized and developed countries are obliged to fund poor
countries, while developing countries are encouraged to voluntarily contribute as well.

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THE SENDAI FRAMEWORK FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (2015-2030), 2015

The year 2015 also saw another major global initiative, this time to resolve the
increasing occurrence of disasters all over the world, both of natural and man-made causes.
Natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions (geological origins), and typhoons,
floods, tsunamis, storm surges, and drought (climatic origins) while man-made disasters from
terrorism and health-related epidemics have caused damage to properties and loss of lives to
mainly vulnerable societies.

The Sendai Framework spans a 15-year, voluntary, non-binding agreement which

recognizes that the State has the primary role to reduce disaster risk but that responsibility
should be shared with other stakeholders (local government, the private sector, and other
stakeholders) The envisaged outcome is the substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses
in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural, and
environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries.

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction charts the global course for DRR
until 2030. It proceeds from the earlier Hyogo Framework for Action (2005-2015).

Philippine Initiatives for Sustainability

The all-important and interrelated issues of climate change and disaster reduction are
the subject of much national attention in the recent years. Efforts towards localizing the global
initiatives were successfully embedded in the Philippine political system in terms of legislation

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and policies. Republic Act 9729 otherwise known as the Climate Change Act of 2009 was
enacted on October 23, 2009 The law mandated the creation of Climate Change Commission
(CCC) whose primary function is to coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the programs and action
plans of the government relating to climate change.

The national framework is formulated within the context of the country's sustainable
development goals and governance/institutional factors that affect the country's ability to
respond to climate change. The changing climate conditions will have a myriad of impacts and
underscore the vulnerabilities in all sectors of society and the economy. Adaptation will require
resources and the cooperation of all sectors. Addressing climate change, therefore, moves
beyond the environmental challenges and will have to be closely related with economic targets
and social sustainability

THE NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN (NCCAP)

The NCCAP was adopted on November 22, 2011, keeping the promise in the
President's social contract. The formation of NCCAP aims to assess the status of the country
as per the climate change risk, as well as to outline the strategic direction for 2011 to 2028 as
a response to the current situation and projected impact. It aims to address the urgent and
immediate needs and concerns of the Philippines relating to the adverse effects of climate
change to vulnerable sectors such as agriculture, water resources, ecosystems, human, and
infrastructure services.

The action plan outlines the agenda for adaptation and mitigation based on its goal to
build the adaptive capacities of women and men in their communities, increase the resilience
of vulnerable sectors and natural ecosystems to climate change, and optimize mitigation
opportunities towards gender-responsive and rights-based sustainable development.

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National framework strategy on climate change

The NCCAP will pursue seven strategic priorities namely, food security, water sufficiency
ecological and environmental stability, human security, climate-smart industries and services,
sustainable energy, and knowledge and capacity development. The formulation and
implementation is a multi-sectoral process conducted with ample consultations with all the al
stakeholders.

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION (CCA) AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (DRR)

INITIATIVES

Climate Change Adaptation aims to reduce vulnerability, moderate changes, and realize
opportunities. Further, they may also serve as risk reduction measures as follows:

Increase Access to Water Resources

In this type of adaptation, several actions can be taken such as conversion of cropland
to forest (grassland), selection and cultivation of new drought-resistant varieties are effective
measures to prevent water scarcity, restoration and re-establishment of vegetation;
improvement of the tree and herb varieties, selection and cultivation of new drought-resistant
varieties are effective measures to prevent water scarcity, and water saving schemes for
irrigation should be enforced to avert water scarcity in regions already under water stress.

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Obenza Street, Island Garden City of Samal
Davao del Norte

Protection of Coastal and Low-lying Areas

As substantial socioeconomic activities and populations are currently highly

concentrated in the coastal zones in Asia, protection should remain a key focus area. Coastal
protection construction in Asia for 5-year to 1000-year storm-surge elevations need to be
considered. Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) provides an effective coastal
protection strategy

Enhanced Natural Ecosystem

Relates to improved technologies for tree plantation development and reforestation,

protection from fires, insects, and diseases, comprehensive intersectoral programs to control
deforestation and forest degradation while increasing agricultural productivity and
sustainability, and lastly, reducing logging waste by implementing sustainable soil
conservation and sustainable wood consumption.

Promotion of Human Health

Monitoring of diseases along with related ecological factors is required because the
relation between weather factors and vector-borne diseases is complicated and delicate.
Benchmarking of potential impacts of climate variability and change on human health needs
to be identified, along with barriers to successful adaptation and the means of overcoming
such barriers.

Applying sustainable development policies that considers climate-proofing concepts in

national development initiatives are projected to improve the use and management of
environmental resources and reduce the risks of climate-change events.

The Philippines, meanwhile, remains as one of the top three countries in the world in
terms of vulnerability. It is situated in the western segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most
active part of the earth, where the active volcanoes and earthquake generators are found. The
country experiences an average of 20 earthquakes a day, and is visited by an average of 20
typhoons, being located in Pacific typhoon belt, with at least five strong typhoons per year.
The socioeconomic and political conditions of the country make Filipinos very vulnerable to
disasters. This has placed the Philippines as one of the world's most disaster-prone nations
and climate change can only exacerbate this.

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Obenza Street, Island Garden City of Samal
Davao del Norte

The Pacific Ring of Fire

Republic Act No. 10121 otherwise known as Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Act of 2010 is an act strengthening the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management System, providing for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Framework and institutionalizing the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan,
appropriating funds therefore and for other purposes.

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Obenza Street, Island Garden City of Samal
Davao del Norte

The risk reduction strategies of the national government focus mainly on early warning and
preparedness, as it contends with stronger typhoons and increasing occurrences of storm
surges, landslides, and drought conditions.

Recognizing the close convergence of climate change adaptation to disaster nsk reduction,
the national government is consolidating efforts towards an integrated Climate Change
Adaptation and Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction Program (2018-2022) with four major
outcomes increased resistance of vulnerable communities, increased adequate supply of
clean air, water, and other natural resources, increased resistance of critical infrastructure,
and enhanced knowledge and access to information and institutional capacities. With the
concerted efforts at the global level towards the top global issues of climate change and
disaster risk reduction, and the localization of these initiatives in the country, we can look for
a better and a more sustainable world in the future.

Self-Help: You can also refer to the sources below to help you
further understand the lesson:

Guzman, R. S. & Genuino, R. G. (2018). Environmental Science Towards a Sustainable

Earth. Quezon City: Vibal Group, Inc.

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Obenza Street, Island Garden City of Samal
Davao del Norte

Let’s Check
Activity 1. Identify the term being referred by the sentences below.
______ 1. This reflected strong resolve to ending global poverty and acknowledged the
multidimensional nature of development and poverty alleviation.
_______ 2. He developed the hierarchy of needs.

________3. It is a term that denotes maintenance, perpetuation, and continuance.

________ 4. These are the objectives to be integrated for sustainable development.

________ 5. The Philippines has signed this agreement featuring 70% reduction of emissions
from the "business as usual" by 2030 in energy transport, forestry, industry, and waste.

Activity 2. Discuss each of the three dimensions of sustainable development and impart how
you could help in the development of these dimensions.

1. Social dimension
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. Environmental Dimension
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

3. Economic Dimension
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Let’s Analyze
Think Outside the Box. Now that you know that different dimensions and considerations in
attaining sustainable development, I am confident that you can answer the following
questions thoroughly.

1.How could the MDGs could be realized in the current time?

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Obenza Street, Island Garden City of Samal
Davao del Norte

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. As a citizen, what do you think will be the most concrete and attainable thing that you
could contribute for sustainable development?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

In a Nutshell
Please feel free to write your arguments or lessons learned below. I have indicated my
arguments or lessons learned.
1.
2. ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

4. ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

5. ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Key Words Index

The following are the terms and concepts discussed in this lesson. The table below
is given to help you recall these important words as you progress in taking this course.
Sustainability development Gross National Product Gross Domestic Product
goals
Millenium Development Economic Dimension Social Dimension
Goals

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Environmental dimension Global Initiatives Maslow’s Hierarchy of

Needs

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