Boys cool off near Zamboanga, the Philippines’ sixth largest city with a population of 800,000. Photo Credit: Vincent Paul Arnuco

Changing Climate, Changing Minds: How One Philippine City Is Preparing for a Water-Scarce Future

Surrounded by water, the Philippines is especially vulnerable to climate change. Its islands and its people are enduring increasingly unpredictable rains, intensifying cycles of flood and drought, and strengthening storms forming in the Pacific. These changing weather patterns have not only derailed livelihoods and agricultural productivity in rural areas, they have also worsened water insecurity in cities, where 45 percent of the population live.

In response, USAID launched its $21.6 million Water Security for Resilient Economic Growth and Stability (Be Secure) project in 2012 to improve urban resilience to climate change. Partnering with communities throughout the country, the project builds local adaptation capacity, upgrades water supply infrastructure, and promotes more efficient water use. The project’s impact has been especially notable in Zamboanga City, which recently became the first city in the nation’s history to create an urban water demand management (WDM) plan.

Read the full article in USAID's Global Waters magazine.

Related File
Blog
Publication Date
Author credits
Russell Sticklor
Length
5 minute read
Population Focus
Urban
Related Countries