BAGUIO City is the Philippines' most vulnerable city to climate change impacts, a study showed.
This at least among the 16 major cities in the country assessed in the study, Business Risk Assessment and the Management of Climate Change Impacts conducted by the World Wide Fund Philippines and the Bank of the Philippine Islands Foundation, Inc. presented in the Summer Capital recently.
The study had three vector analysis on each city's Climate/Environmental Exposure, Socio-economic Sensitivity and Adaptive Sensitivity which aimed to further look into the different sectors and activities that may be "steering their economy toward decreased viability and increased vulnerability.”
According to the study, "Rain is going to be Baguio's bane," the city already has the highest average rainfall in the country at 3,914 millimeter per year.
Based on official records, there is not only an increasing trend in the average annual rainfall in the City over the last 20 years but it has also recorded the highest annual rainfall in the country in 1910; highest rainfall in 24 hours in the world in 1911; and another world record for highest rainfall in 48 hours in 1950.
In 2001, the city also recorded the highest rainfall in an hour at 1,085mm.
"There are a number of climate-aggravated effects that Baguio City is exposed to," the study said.
Aside from heavy rains and storms, these include seismic faults, landslides, earthquakes and even flooding.
"Yes, it floods in Baguio when it's not supposed to," said Lory Tan, chief executive officer and vice chairman of the Board of WWF Philippines which he backed with reports of flooding incidents in the past at City Camp Lagoon, Burnham Park, Queen of Peace, Lower Lourdes Extension and Lower Rock Quarry.
The flooding, according to the study, is aggravated by the human footprint which has undeniably increased as the population of the city also increased.
Based on the Philippine Statistics Authority Census in 2010, Baguio City's population is already at 318,676 with a growth rate at 2.36 percent.
On top of this are the tourists flocking the city on special holidays, events and ordinary weekends.
"Stretched away beyond the original limits it was designed for for, Baguio City has allowed extensive land conversion, with its booming population establishing large communities over vast track of its hillsides," the study stated highlighting its population density which has increased from 3,186 per square kilometer in 1990 to 5,668/sq km in 2010.
In addition, the study also noted the increase in housing units from 13,471 in 1990 to an estimated 34,247 in 2010.
The study claimed environmental management, particularly Baguio City's watersheds, urbanization and its population growth will "play major roles in defining continued viability of the city's economy.”
"The city's opportunity is to look beyond its boundaries, beyond BLISTT, identify its unique competencies, then craft a 'climate smart' long-term development plan that defines a regional role for the city within CAR and Region 1," the study suggested.
It added if the City wanted to take itself away from the the harmful effects of climate change, there has to be a multi-year plan for it which is a product of a participatory process from the government, the private sector and the public.
And if the business industry wants to be continuously viable, "they should focus on striking a sustainable balance between local ambition, demographic facts and the emerging realities of climate change," the study said.