Communicating Climate Change

in Coastal Areas: A Community–Based Adaptation Option

Roger Z. Guzman, Ph.D.

Adviser, Board of Directors, PATLEPAM

Executive Director, PFEC

16th National Senior Educators’ Assembly in

Environmental Protection and Management Theme: “Research and Development and Local Knowledge on

Climate Change Adaptation and Community Resiliency” Legend Hotel, Puerto Princesa, Palawan

November 24-25, 2011

Philippine Country Profile

Area:

Total ………………300,000 sq. km

Land ………………298,170 sq. km

Water ……………..1,830,830 sq. km

Boundaries:

North: Balintang Channel

South: Sulu and Celebes Sea

East: Philippine Sea/Pacific Ocean

West: South China Sea

Climate:

Tropical : northeast monsoon (Nov. to Apr)

southeast monsoon (May to Oct.)

Natural resources: timber, nickel, cobalt, silver,

gold, salt, copper, petroleum

Land use:

Arable land …………………..19%

Permanent pastures ……….. 4%

Permanent crops ……………12%

Forest & wetlands …………..46%

Others ………………………..19%

There is no doubt that the

Philippines is among the

countries most vulnerable to

climate change. Foremost of

reasons is its archipelagic

nature. About 70% of the

country’s 1,500 municipalities

lie within the 32,400-kilometer

coastline.

The Philippines also lies along the path of tropical

storms. About 20 typhoons pass through the

country every year. Since, climate change is

predicted to cause more intense and more

devastating storms, the coastal communities are

at great risk.

The Project Site 1 Situation Gubat, Sorsogon, Philippines

• Consists of a total of 42 barangays, of which 12 are

coastal

•Coastal fishing communities are in general highly

depressed due to low income and lack of employment

opportunities

•The average household income of fishermen in the

region is Php1,529 per month. The coastal fishermen

are in general considered part of the poorest of the

poor considering that their level of income is way

below the poverty line. As their number increases,

more competition for the same resources ensue, thus,

stocks decline and more fishermen resort to using

illegal fishing methods. The consequence is depletion

of resources.

The Project Site 2 Situation Batuan, Ticao Island, Masbate, Philippines

•The Municipality of Batuan has a total

land area of 5,341.40 has. This land area

is distributed in fourteen (14) barangays

of the municipality.

•The Municipality of Batuan covers the

fourth type of climate, characterized by

having no pronounced maximum rain

period and no dry season.

•Current Municipal Population stands at

12,038 persons which is relatively small

due to the fact that the municipality has

just been elevated into the status of a

town only in year 1951

•A variety of fisheries and other aquatic

resources is abundant in the municipal

waters of Batuan

The Climate Change Communications (CC Com):

A CCA Option

• is a small component of a CCA development activity

undertaken by PFEC called “Climate change in

coastal areas – a community-based adaptation

approach”

• The main activity reviewed current coastal policies and

legislation and identified its weaknesses in addressing

the impacts of climate change;

• conducted vulnerability assessment to select an area to

demonstrate bio-physical adaptation measures to protect

infrastructure and biodiversity and enhance disaster

management at the local level.

Climate Change Adaptation Process Framework

Objectives:

This CC Com project complements the Community-based Adaptation by enabling

appropriate and effective communication of its findings to the community.

As a communications project its objective is to increase knowledge and understanding

of the people of Gubat, Sorsogon and Batuan, Masbate on climate change and its

relations on their day to day activities and long term survival. It also aims to impress

on the people the urgent need to act in response to the risks of climate change related

events and that even little initiatives to address climate change can contribute in very

significant ways to bigger challenges.

The goals are: • Increased level of acceptance of interventions introduced by the main project

by increasing communities’ knowledge and understanding of climate change

issues

• Heightened level of cooperation of various stakeholders to climate change

adaptation activities

• Enabled target audience to act in response to knowledge on climate change

issues

Major Communication Interventions:

1. Film Showing cum Game Show

The first was an introduction to climate change through

film showing of Panahon Na! Ang Pinoy at and Hamon

ng Climate Change complemented by game show.

Panahon Na! is a documentary on climate change in the

Philippine context which discussed the basic concepts

of climate change such as definition, causes and effects

and some adaptation measures.

The concepts were emphasized and important concepts

clarified through games, Multiple Choice and word

game called modified Pinoy Henyo (Filipino Genius) .

There were also further explanations made on concepts,

when appropriate, during the duration of the activity.

The level of difficulty of the questions and

supplementary discussions were based on

comprehension and baseline knowledge of climate

change of the community.

• A game show was adapted from a

popular television show which the target

audience are familiar with. The

participants join as individuals.

Questions are with 4 possible answers.

The participants choose the most

appropriate answer. Their answers were

used for formulating basic concepts

such as definition of climate change,

global warming, causes and impacts of

climate change, to name a few

• A game show adapted from another

popular television show which the target

audience are familiar with. The

participants are divided into pairs,

guesser and clue giver. This was used

for concepts with multiple answers, such

as causes and effects of climate change

and adaptation strategies given specific

climate change effect.

2. Community Theatre

The second intervention was community theatre

conducted around a month after the film

showing. The activity aimed to deepen the

community’s understanding of climate change

and awareness that climate change is already

affecting their community. It was designed to

awaken the emotions and make them move to

action.

The theater group, composed of residents of the

partner barangays, were trained in theatre arts.

They co-developed the script and co-produced

the play with the theatre director. The story line

and script were based on the experiences and

changes seen by the family of the selected

group. The community theatre play in Gubat

was entitled “Pagmangno” (Awakening) and

was performed in their language Gubatnon. The

play in Batuan was entitled “Ang Sugo”

(Messiah) performed in Tagalog.

3. Local Video

The third intervention was the local video. It was a

documentary of the changes happening in the two

municipalities, produced separately. The residents were

interviewed, which included the mayor, parish priest,

barangay captain, fisherfolks and residents. They were

asked to share their stories the changes that have

happened in their area, impacts of these changes in their

lives and livelihood and actions that they can do to

minimize the effects. Footages were also taken on the

changes that have happened.

The objective of the local video was to make the people

aware that climate change is already in their municipality

and is affecting their lives, their way of life is one of the

causes and they need to work together to reduce its

impacts on their and the future generations life. The local

video documentary of Gubat was also entitled

“Pagmangno” and produced in their language, Gubatnon

and Tagalog. The local video documentary of Batuan was

entitle “Batuan” and produced in their language, Masbateño

and Tagalog.

Results: Impacts were measured in the change in level of awareness. And this was

further subdivided to the level of awareness of the changes happening and in

climate changes based on the survey results and the messages expressed by

the community members on their learning from the three major activities.

Gubat : Climate Change Awareness.

There was a 50% increase in the

number of people who are aware of

climate change

Batuan : Climate Change Awareness.

There was a 47% increase in the number

of people who are aware of climate

change

Gubat : Level of Climate Change

Awareness:

24% of the people are familiar

with the concepts; and

7% are able to discuss climate

change concepts

Batuan : Level of Climate Change

Awareness:

27% of the people are familiar

with the concepts; and

11% are able to discuss climate

change concepts

Cost / Benefit:

The total cost of the three communication intervention

activities for the two municipalities is around Php 1.0M

($22,000). The allocation of costs is as follows: 29% was spent

on the film showing, 41% on the community theatre and 30% on

the local video.

• The film showing is a necessary activity especially for the

two municipalities whose base knowledge on climate change is

very low, almost practically zero. The community theatre play

was effective in awakening the emotions. The women of the

community appreciated the community theatre play. The video,

on the other hand, was effective in making the people in the

community realize that they are already affected by climate

change but that, also, they can do something to lessen their

vulnerabilities.

Challenges/Lessons Learned The biggest challenge of the project is the limited period of

implementation especially since it coincided with the national and

local elections of the country and in the town fiesta. It further

reduced the actual duration of implementation and limited the

availability of local counterparts.

Furthermore, the available means of communication within the

municipalities and barangays was also a limiting factor in

communicating with the target community. This somehow affected

the breadth or the geographic spread of the activity. The residents

who live in the area situated far from the center were not always

informed of the activities. However because there was close

coordination and cooperation with existing institutions like the local

government unit and schools, implementing the activities and

achieving the results was still achieved.

Sustainability:

The local government units of both Gubat, Sorsogon and Batuan,

Masbate, both at the municipal and barangay level have been

given all the materials used and produced. They are expected to

continue the information education campaign in their localities.

Furthermore, the selected groups who were trained in theatre arts

and were the artists for community theatre group have organized

themselves and have sustained network with the artists and the

local government officials. There were also initial discussions

made with the association of artists at the provincial level, which

can be continued and possibly institutionalized. However, there is

still a need to strengthen their organization and leadership

capabilities.

A Case Study on CC-

Vulnerable Coastal Community

Protection and Sustainable Natural

Resource Management of Coastal Areas –

A Community-Based Climate Change

Adaptation and Mitigation Case

Municipality of Batuan, Province of Masbate

Challenges

Responses/Opportunities

Catalytic Impact: • Restoration of Coastal Mangrove Forests

• Delineation, protection and management of

Marine Protected Area

• Restoration of Coral Reefs

• Community-Based Conservation and Aquaculture

• Resource Inventory for Livelihood Options

• Institutional, Policy and Regulatory Involvement

• Continued Capacity Building for Community

Livelihood Resiliency to CC

CONCLUSION

THANK YOU

Conclusion: Even with limited period of 6 months, it can be seen in the results of the final

assessment that there was a significant increase in the level of awareness on

climate change. This was attributed to sustained communication activities

with the community and continued interaction. To be able to maintain these

and further move the communities to work together to lessen the effects of

climate change in their communities, there is a need to further continue the

engagement. The community has realized a better understanding of climate

change and have seen the need to work together to reduce their vulnerability

and decrease the effects on their lives. They are ready for capacity building

interventions to guide them as they work together to protect their

municipalities from the devastating effects of climate change.

There is a need for follow up activities to be immediately implemented to be

able to further deepen the community’s understanding of climate change to

mobilize more people to move while the activities of CC Com and Community

based Climate Change adaptation are still fresh in their memories. It is

difficult to leave them at this stage since they have better knowledge of the

risks they are facing.