World Environment Day was marked on June 5 with a special focus on the threats faced by small islands due to global warming. Rising temperatures and melting polar ice caps are raising sea levels. Experts have warned that small islands can be completely submerged within a few years.
While the focus of the special event is on small island nations such as Barbados, the host of this year’s observance, archipelagic states such as the Philippines also risk losing smaller islands to climate change. Rising ocean temperatures have already compounded the destruction of the Philippines’ coral reefs from illegal fishing methods.
Manila, which is gradually sinking into the sea, faces the threat of more serious flooding and powerful storm surges. The coastal communities spread across the archipelago are likely to be hit by more typhoons as powerful as last year’s Yolanda.
This year’s slogan for World Environment Day is “Raise your voice, not the sea level.†It’s a reiteration of the call for greater awareness of measures to prevent or minimize the impact of climate change through a combination of state-imposed policies and voluntary individual involvement in reducing carbon footprints.
Small island nations, which are home to an estimated 63 million people, account for only one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. But they are the most vulnerable to the threats posed by rising sea levels. The Philippines, which is visited annually by killer typhoons, is no stranger to the risks and should be among the leaders in implementing measures to confront climate change.
But despite numerous deadly natural disasters, the country continues to lose its forest cover, coral reefs and indigenous species. The country is considered a biodiversity hotspot, with pollution and unregulated development threatening fragile ecosystems. Filipinos have suffered the consequences of climate change. It should not require a special day to bring home the urgency of preserving the environment.