Find the complete study here: https://www.stimson.org/2023/corvi-measuring-multidimensional-climate-risks-in-dagupan-philippines/
In our first ever joint collaboration with Stimson Center of Washington D.C. and the Ocean Policy Research Institute - Sasakawa Peace Foundation of Tokyo, Japan, we conducted a 2-year long vulnerability assessment of Dagupan City, a coastal city in the Philippines highly susceptible to floods, liquefaction and climate risks, using the Climate and Ocean Risk Vulnerability Index (CORVI) developed by Stimson Center.
The results of the study find that the top 3 coastal risks of Dagupan are Climate, Geology and Economy, respectively.
The CORVI risk analysis for Dagupan City highlights a vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystem, with Climate (7.56) and Geology/Water (7.13) having the highest risk scores overall. Following this is the successive ranking of Economics (6.63), Infrastructure (6.33), and Major Industries (6.04) at medium-high risks, emphasizing the risk to the local economy, housing, employment, and infrastructure from extreme climate events. Among the political risks, Stability (5.51) ranks highest due to strong dependence on climate-vulnerable industries and highly vulnerable populations.
The coastal risk profile of Dagupan City tells a story of a highly vulnerable economy dependent on the climate and geologic conditions of the city. Results of the study indicate that the economic security of Dagupan's major industries such as aquaculture, education and service industries are linked to climate sustainability and the natural geophysical make-up of the city. Thus, in order to secure the city's economy, mitigative climate action to sustain major water bodies and its natural coastal ecosystem must be taken. In this light, we find that the economy of a coastal city is intrinsically tied and dependent to its surrounding environment and climate and that indeed, care for planet is care for people and profit.
Below are the mind map and risk impact chain developed to visualize and analyze the risk landscape of Dagupan City, respectively:
In order to address these risks, top 3 recommendations to build resilience and strengthen the blue economy of the city are suggested by the study:
Priority Recommendations to Build Resilience
Institutionalize Climate Resiliency Project Planning and Implementation to Reduce Flood Risks, Sustain Economic Growth, and Improve Human Health and Safety Recognizing the extended time horizon for climate risk-related infrastructure project planning and implementation, the Office of the Mayor and the Dagupan City Council should work together to pass laws, ordinances, and multiyear planning budgets that codify and institutionalize sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy projects into law. Infrastructure projects and ordinances, both nature-based and constructed, could include implementing flood mitigation measures, circular economy initiatives such as the SURE Global Waste to Worth Innovations (W2WI) waste-to-energy project, solid waste management, wastewater treatment infrastructure, replanting mangroves, renewable energy development, and instituting green building codes.
Implement Decentralized Nature-based Solutions for Wastewater Treatment and Groundwater Recharging in Vulnerable Communities Efforts to improve water quality and supplies of clean drinking water are needed to reduce climate-related risks to vulnerable populations and key industries. Decentralized nature-based solutions for wastewater treatment should be used to fill gaps in local barangays prior to the rollout of the sewage treatment plant. Dagupan City should also develop and implement plans to address their waning groundwater supply. Increased urbanization, population density, and shoreline development has increased the extraction of groundwater, and the drying of artesian wells, as sea level rise further threatens saltwater intrusion into existing groundwater supplies. Nature-based solutions offer an inexpensive and efficient way to recharge local aquifers by using natural materials at a decentralized scale. The city should prioritize implementing local nature-based solutions in barangays that are the most at risk, including those communities that cannot afford to connect to the water district. In addition, the City Planning and Development Office, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and local barangay captains should work together to reach the goal of zero defecation in open areas by providing sanitary toilets and by educating residents on safe and healthy sanitation practices.
Improve the Sustainability and Diversity of the City’s Blue Economy Industries Improving the sustainability of the city’s blue economy industries (e.g., aquaculture, fisheries, and tourism) is key to ensuring climate resilience. The LGU, City Agriculture Office, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources have been educating locals on sustainable fishing, replanting mangroves, enforcing strict measures against overfishing and overstocking, implementing physical distances between fish pens/cages, and eradicating illegal fish pens to prevent fish kills. They should continue to improve and implement these measures. In addition, Dagupan should seek to diversify its coastal tourism industry beyond activities related to bangus. For example, opportunities may exist to develop sustainable tourism, and ecotourism businesses along the beachfront on the Lingayen Gulf.
With these measures, Dagupan can continue to grow the economy, improve the health and safety of its people, and strengthen its resilience against the impacts of climate change.
The CORVI-Dagupan study was not only the first in the Philippines, but also in the whole of Southeast Asia: pioneering Dagupan City as the pilot site for coastal assessment using CORVI index. With the successful undertaking of the study, this can now be more easily scaled to more coastal cities around the nation to help map out key risks and drive priority recommendations to highly vulnerable sites. By using the CORVI index, an internationally-recognized climate index specific to coastal cities, it is the hope of Stimson Center to help developing countries more easily unlock access to rigorous international funds and build a more sustainable and resilient world in the midst of climate change.
....As for Ecosensya, the theoretical work is over: it's now time to bring paper to life by working towards sustainable water management on the ground and making these priority recommendations a reality.
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