Interventions on climate change

Increase in Extreme Rainfall Events

In order to mitigate the negative effects of extreme rainfall events, Pasig City must improve drainage
systems to provide real time and immediate solution to flood water accumulation. The city must identify
low-lying areas and provide these with structural measures such as additional pumping stations,
floodwalls to help control flooding hazard beside waterways, among others, to reduce destructive
consequences of great flooding events.

Concerned city departments must address the accumulation of garbage and also siltation of rivers and
waterways in the city as well as coordinate with upland and adjacent cities or municipalities which are
traversed by the course of the waterway. A watershed/ water basin approach to address runoff, flood
flow, flood control and pumping system practices, diverting flood water from the city and reducing
flooding.

Areas with steep slopes and prone to soil saturation should be protected with reinforced concrete
structures as applicable, in order to prevent landslides. Public policy planning such as zoning, land use
regulation and declaring hazard/ highly flood prone areas may help control the exposure.

The LGU should also strengthen its institutional resilience to be able to maintain public service
continuity and other government functions even through adverse situations. Critical services and
facilities in the city should be adapted to possible impacts such as flooding and disruption.

In the private sector, diversity in transportation and redundancy in utilities especially in communication
must be promoted, since communication is essential especially during disruptive events. Public-Private
cooperation should be utilized in order to effectively build more resilient utilities and transportation
services in the city.

Increase in Temperature

Greening the environment through landscaping, pocket gardens, vegetation lined sidewalks and streets,
planting trees in open lots, establishing Green Belts and other greening practices using drought tolerant
plants and trees may instantly help reduce surrounding temperature. As more and more areas are
“greened”, average temperature may be reduced in these areas thus combating increase in temperature
due to climate change.

Pasig city should promote green energy use in transportation instead of fossil fuel powered vehicles
which is the major cause of greenhouse gas emissions that directly impacts global warming. Carbon
dioxide emissions and vehicle exhaust are also hotter than the ambient temperature thus alternative
energy based transportation is a less negating factor in maintaining a cooler environment.

More sustainable and green building practices, especially in the private sector must be utilized to help
decrease temperature in the city. This may be through the use of insulated construction materials, use
of indigenous materials such as bamboo, use of lighter shaded colors that are less heat absorbent,
natural ventilation and cooling designs, rooftop greening, etc.

Improving water security must be another priority of the city since it has a considerably large population
and a bustling economic environment that demands clean water. As we are all aware, water reserves
are easily depleted not only by consumption but also by wasteful water practices. Therefore water
conservation and water recycling practices should be promoted to help combat water scarcity during
times of extreme rise in temperature.

Sea Level Rise

Sea level rise, unlike flooding caused by extreme rainfall, has slow timely onset and may its rise be
projected and estimated to happen. This gives the city the opportunity and privilege to assess and
manage options in a structured approach, rather than waiting and being forced to address them under
immense technical and financial strain, when these events have arrived.

Low-lying areas and areas beside waterways are prone to permanent flooding of land brought about by
the increase in sea level due to climate change. Long-term solutions must be thought up to either adapt
structures and roads in these areas and elevate them to projected sea level rise, or consider relocating
and building in higher land. Whichever is more economically feasible or socially acceptable should be
planned out and initiated early on since this is a costly measure that would require phase by phase
implementation.

The city must identify lifeline utilities and plan about its adaptation to possible inundation or permanent
submersion in water. Roads, bridges, telecommunication and electricity services identified as subject to
sea level rise must already be planned to be adaptive for this future rise in sea level. Furthermore, all
infrastructure that is yet to be built must be subject to climate change adaptation measures.