Poor Filipinos more vulnerable to effects of climate change —study

The extreme weather events triggered by climate change may cause economic damage that would affect Filipinos living in the poverty threshold, a study of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) found.

According to Maki Pulido's report on "24 Oras" on Friday, the ADB's Climate Risk Country Profile showed the extreme hazards brought about by the weather events may negatively impact the country's vulnerable sectors including the agriculture and poor families.

"We would expect to see, you know, a large share of the population vulnerable to falling into poverty," ADB Country Manager Kelly Bird said. "It might be temporary but we might expect reducing poverty is going to be more challenging under these adverse impacts of climate change".

"The negative effects will show up in frequent shortages of food due to reduction in crops and that would later of course, cause price inflation. That would effect predominantly poor families," Bird said.

In 18 years, the ADB further warned the Philippines stands to lose 12% to 15% or $30 to $35 billion in its overall economic gain due to overpopulation and climate change by 2040.

For more details, watch the report here.—Sundy Locus/LDF, GMA Integrated News