With our level of vulnerability and the continuous intensification of climate change impacts, it is necessary for the Philippines to adopt strategies and policies that would help facilitate its climate change adaptation journey.

In the latest issue of the Philippine Journal of Science (PJS), an article titled “Development of a Climate Responsiveness Framework for the Philippines’ Environment and Natural Resources Management Sector” looked at the implications of recent climate science findings on the 10 priority programs of the Philippines’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The study included defining the impacts of climate change on natural ecosystems, developing a framework for assessing the climate responsiveness of the DENR programs, and recommendations for policymakers.

Using a set of 12 criteria for climate responsiveness and a four-point rating scale for each criterion, the DENR programs were found to be needing improvements in terms of their flexibility, long-termness in scope, and ability to address interconnected risks and vulnerabilities, stimulate migration to green-development pathways, and promote incremental and transformational adaptation.

Some of the recommendations made after the study include the development of decision support systems, integration of plans and programs through multi-agency/multi-stakeholder collaborations, and a robust system for developing climate-responsive policies.

The article was authored by Florencia B. Pulhin, Ma. Criscia D. Alonte, Elenida R. Basug, Aldrin D.C. Bayangos, Rex Victor O. Cruz,  Alfi Lorenz B. Cura, Maria Victoria O. Espaldon, Dr. Rodel D. Lasco, Marco D. Macapagal, Millicent Joyce Q. Pangilinan, Analiza Rebuelta-Teh, and Perpilili Vivienne A. Tiongson.

Philippine Journal of Science is an open-access, single-blind peer-reviewed journal by the Department of Science and Technology. Philippine Journal of Science focuses on natural sciences, engineering, mathematics, and social sciences.

To learn more about the process through which this study was conducted, you may visit the following links:

• The OML Center tackles the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C in the 1st Workshop on DENR’s Policies and Programs
• OML Center Conducts 2nd Workshop to Validate Climate-Resilient Indicators for DENR’s Ten Priority Programs
• Key Findings and Recommendations to DENR Plans and Programs on Impact of Global Warming of 1.5 °C