“Think globally, act locally” has served as words of wisdom for the environmental movement for decades. 

In the case of the climate crisis, many experts have said that the focus of solutions is now shifting from the global negotiating table to national discourse. This is true for the Philippines, whose government is now in the process of finalizing many of the plans that would shape its climate action for decades to come.

One such plan is the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), which will guide national strategies to adjust to the changing climate. It aims to specifically enhance our capacities to adapt and reduce our vulnerability to climate change impacts, and integrate adaptation into other national climate and development plans, new or existing.

It is arguably the most climate policy-making document that the Philippines must properly develop and implement, given our status as one of the countries at highest risk to said crisis. Adaptation has repeatedly been mentioned as the “anchor strategy” for addressing this issue and is expected to continue being so amid projected worsening impacts, from higher sea levels to more intense droughts.

The NAP is expected to be finalized as early as the next round of climate talks this November in Dubai; it would also serve as a negotiating tool to secure from developed countries the needed finance, technologies, and capacity-building mechanisms to implement it. 

While the urgency of finishing said plan cannot be understated, all efforts must be exercised to ensure it is as comprehensive, clear, and sustainable as possible. With that in mind, there are a few important points that must be considered in the finalization of the NAP.

Synergy with mitigation

Adaptation and mitigation solutions are not always isolated from one another. For example, forests are important for multiple purposes, such as reducing the likelihood of floods, provide livelihoods for nearby communities, and lower the temperatures within its vicinity. At the same time, it is also vital for mitigation, as it is the main natural means of removing from the atmosphere excess carbon dioxide, the most commonly-emitted greenhouse gas (GHG) that triggers the climate crisis.

As unfortunate and unjust as it is, developing countries like the Philippines still have to deal with the reality that the global funding for enacting climate solutions is not as accessible as it should be. Actions cannot be delayed, not with strong typhoons and an El Niño to be expected in the final months of the year. 

This is why it is important for all the identified mitigation sectors known as AWITFE (agriculture, waste, industry, transport, forestry and land use, energy) to also be among the priority sectors in the NAP. Doing so would allow the nation to maximize available resources to address urgent impacts, addressing both adaptation and mitigation needs that are aligned with our pursuit of national sustainable development.  

Synchronized with existing plans

There are already existing national strategies that involve adaptation in the Philippines. These include the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP), which outlines specific programs and strategies for climate action on key sectors such as food and water security, ecological stability, and climate-friendly industries and services until 2028. 

As NAP is also a self-determined commitment of what the country intends for its adaptation measures, it is necessary for this plan to be harmonized with existing national strategies. This means that it should not worsen existing challenges with the implementation of NCCAP and the corresponding Local CCAPs; for the latter, these include lack of technical capacities among many highly-vulnerable municipalities, lack of access or proper use of available funding, and shortcomings in tracking climate-related spending.

Given its current approach to climate action previously mentioned, it also means that the NAP must be harmonized with existing mitigation strategies. This includes the Nationally Determined Contributions, another self-determined plan wherein the nation committed to reduce its GHG emissions by 75% within the current decade, albeit with support from developed countries. 

Sustainable and inclusive

Adaptation, just like any aspect of climate action, is a long-term approach. While there are economic, social, and environmental outcomes that need to be attained within the next few months or years, assessing the true impacts of adaptation interventions would take decades of enforcement, monitoring, and evaluation. 

This means that amid changes in governing personnel and generations of participating stakeholders for the next few decades, the NAP must live up to the “whole-of-society” approach that has been used in other climate-related plans. In line with the “think globally, act locally” mantra, the empowerment and active participation of all Filipinos, especially the most vulnerable peoples, is an imperative the government cannot ignore.

Two of the most vulnerable groups whose participation is critical for the NAP (and other Philippine climate and development plans) are indigenous peoples and the youth. They cannot be treated as populations that are either isolated from decision-making process or incapable of enacting solutions; among with other similar groups, they must be supported and empowered to participate in all facets of its implementation, from consultations and forums to implementing and monitoring actions on the ground.

When it comes to the most critical items on the current Philippine green agenda, we should not sleep on the NAP. We cannot measure what we will truly be missing otherwise. – Rappler.com

John Leo Algo is the Deputy Executive Director for Programs and Campaigns of Living Laudato Si’ Philippines, a member of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas, and the Youth Advisory Group for Environmental and Climate Justice under the UNDP in Asia and the Pacific. He has been a climate and environment journalist since 2016.