Building Climate Risk Resilience Through Human Security Development in the Philippines

Challenge

Aurora Province, Philippines, is highly vulnerable to climate-related hazards, including typhoons, flooding, and landslides, threatening lives and livelihoods.

Solution

Strengthening human security and adaptive capacity through participatory risk assessment, training, and integrated resilience planning.

Overview

Led by Professor Juan M. Pulhin of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, and supported by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) under its Scientific Capacity Development Programme (CAPaBLE), this project addressed the urgent need to strengthen climate risk resilience in Aurora Province.

The province faces frequent typhoons, seasonal flooding, and landslides, which cause loss of life, damage infrastructure, and disrupt livelihoods. These hazards are compounded by limited institutional capacity and gaps in community-level preparedness.

The project adopted a human security approach, which integrates environmental, economic, social, and political dimensions of safety and well-being. This approach ensured that resilience-building efforts considered both immediate hazard impacts, and the underlying vulnerabilities that make communities more susceptible to climate risks.

Participatory risk assessment and community profiling

The project team conducted participatory risk assessments in the eight coastal and upland municipalities of Aurora Province. Using focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and household surveys, the project mapped hazard exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity.

Data collection covered hazard histories, socio-economic profiles, resource use patterns, and existing coping strategies. Geographic information system (GIS) tools were used to produce hazard maps that combined scientific data with community knowledge.

Capacity-building and training programs

Training activities targeted local government units (LGUs) and community members. Topics included climate risk assessment, disaster preparedness, livelihood diversification, and integrating human security into local development plans. Workshops brought together stakeholders from multiple sectors, including agriculture, fisheries, education, and health, to foster cross-sectoral planning.

The project’s capacity building activities included workshops to determine the status of different ecosystem services in the municipalities. These sessions were designed to equip communities and LGUs with practical, low-cost adaptation options.

Integration into local governance

One of the project’s central goals was to mainstream climate risk and human security considerations into local governance structures. The project worked closely with LGUs to develop and formulate Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAPs) and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plans (DRRMPs). The integration process emphasized the co-benefits of resilience-building measures for both environmental sustainability and socio-economic development.

Community engagement and knowledge sharing

Extensive community engagement was conducted through barangay assemblies, school-based activities, and public information campaigns. These efforts promoted awareness of climate risks and encouraged local ownership of adaptation initiatives. Knowledge sharing between municipalities was facilitated through inter-LGU forums, where participants exchanged best practices and lessons learned.

Key results

• Completion of detailed hazard and vulnerability profiles for municipalities.
• Strengthened capacity of LGUs and communities to conduct participatory climate risk assessments.
• Completion of a Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment (CDRA) and LCCAP for all eight municipalities in Aurora Province.
• Strengthened collaboration between government, academia, and civil society in resilience planning.
• Two peer-reviewed articles also followed this project: Grefalda et al. (2020) and Pulhin et al. (2021).

Recommendations

The project recommended institutionalizing participatory risk assessment processes, and providing sustained technical support to LGUs to address gaps in institutional capacity, staffing, and financial support. It also emphasized the need for strengthening the resilience of services from ecosystems. It also emphasized the need for dedicated funding streams for resilience initiatives and for bolstering partnerships between local governments and academic institutions.

Project details

Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) under its Scientific Capacity Development Programme (CAPaBLE). Acknowledgements are given to the contributions of participating LGUs, communities, and partner institutions in Aurora Province.

Related information

• Project Permalink
• Project Final Report
• Municipality of Dingalan: Local Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP) 2019-2028. https://www.apn-gcr.org/publication/municipality-of-dingalan-local-climate-change-action-plan-lccap-2019-2028/
• Grefalda, L. B., Pulhin, J. M., Tapia, M. A., Anacio, D. B., De Luna, C. C., Sabino, L. L., … Inoue, M. (2020). Building institutional resilience in the context of climate change in Aurora, Philippines. Environmental Research, 186, 109584. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2020.109584
• Pulhin, J. M., Tapia-Villamayor, M. A., de Luna, C. L., Cruz, R. V. O., Peria, A. S., Anacio, D. B., … Almarines, N. R. (2021). Enhancing resilience through capacity building in LCCAP formulation in the local government of Aurora, Philippines. APN Science Bulletin, 11(1). doi:10.30852/sb.2021.1411
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