The Philippines sits along the Pacific typhoon belt, absorbing around 20 storms yearlyThere will be less drinking waterWater is the most important resource on Earth. Over 70 percent of the planet is covered in it, yet just 1 potable is potable. One in seven people can’t access safe drinking water. Climate change dramatically affects water distribution, either by showering regions with too much (like Typhoon Ondoy) or too little (like this year’s El Niño, predicted to be worse than the 1998 dry spell). Already Angat Dam in Bulacan, which supplies 98 percent of Metro Manila’s freshwater, is at a critical level. Water imbalances affect agriculture—too little will cause crops to wilt and wither, while too much can flood fields. It takes 5,000 liters of fresh water to produce a kilogram of rice. Due to intensified climate change effects, tomorrow’s water sources shall be rationed. Sound crazy? Think about this—a few generations ago, the idea of selling bottled water was, too!We will have stronger storms and floodsThe Philippines sits along the Pacific typhoon belt, absorbing around 20 storms yearly. Typhoons Ondoy, Sendong, Pepeng and Lando are but harbingers of what’s to come—which might be Monstorms like Yolanda—which took 6,300 lives and wrought $14 billion in damage. Though most typhoons are born in the Pacific Ocean, rising temperatures have heated up the West Philippine Sea enough that it also births storms. About P136.3B or 5 percent of the Philippine budget has already been allotted for climate change adaptation efforts—money better spent building schools and feeding hungry Pinoys. COP-21 might see the possible creation of a Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) to let major carbon emitters like China and America fund climate adaptation efforts for vulnerable nations like ours.Many plants and animals will die outOne in six species might be pushed to extinction due to climate change, says WWF-UK chief climate change adviser Dr. Stephen Cornelius. To survive warming temperatures, plants and animals will need to be able to “move” from warmer to colder areas at a rate of one kilometer yearly. Those that cannot migrate fast enough—corals, trees, fungi and even many animals—will die. WWF predicts that climate change can spur a mass extinction in the near future. What will be left are adaptable animals like flies, cockroaches, rats and mosquitoes. When plants and animals disappear, the benefits we derive from them will forever vanish.How can you help?So what can you do? Talk more about climate change. Share this article. Make #COP-21 trend on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is leading a campaign called Tweet Your Leader to let negotiators know that we want a concrete plan for developed nations to reduce their emissions and help vulnerable countries like the Philippines adapt to stronger climate change effects.WWF pushes for science-based solutions such as shifting to renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies. Halting deforestation will allow natural carbon sinks like trees and topsoil to store greenhouse gases and put the brakes on climate change. Practical climate adaptation strategies must be crafted and implemented to protect the world’s most vulnerable people and places. “We must act collectively and save our one and only home,” notes WWF-Philippines President and CEO Joel Palma. “Plan B will not suffice, simply because we have no Planet B.”Through decisive action and proper preparation, we might just steer clear of the five scenarios above. COP-21 can be a cop-out—but it can also be the turning point, the moment when world leaders finally address the great challenge of our time.
