The Role of Women in Creating Climate Resilient Communities: Focus on the Philippines

Feb 19, 2016 | Laura Fairman
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The Philippines is one of the world’s most vulnerable populations to the effects of climate change. When the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) evaluated disaster-prone countries in 2015, the Philippines ranked third. This is due, in part, to its geographic location as an archipelago with an exposed coastline, and its position in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Extreme weather events like flooding, typhoons, and earthquakes are common; on average, eight or nine tropical storms make landfall each year. The frequent occurrence of natural disasters poses particular challenges for a developing nation such as the Philippines, which lacks the financial resources and organizational capacity for comprehensive disaster risk reduction. Women have immense potential to bring about positive change in this context by contributing on-the-ground knowledge and building leadership within their communities. For the indigenous populations of the Philippines, engaging women is crucial to building resilient practices to adapt to the impacts of climate change and natural disasters.