ATOK, Benguet – Young and old Benguet folks are anxious about climate change and this environmental anxiety spurs them to believe the government should do more to address this problem.
Such anxiety is increasing among the youth, prompting them to be more engaged in climate activism, an issue that, to them, should not be pushed back or relegated to the backburner, studies traced.
However, as it stands, a fine balance must also be struck discussing what adults are doing to mitigate climate change which can provide reassurance, model prosocial behaviors and inspire their own investment in climate action, the studies explained.
Adults seeking to support the psychological well-being of young people should both support their concerns and actions around climate change and create avenues for young people to meaningfully engage in climate action.
A study, “Climate Anxiety in Children and Young People and their Beliefs About Government Responses to Climate Change: A Global Survey,” conducted by Caroline Hickman, Elizabeth Marks, Panu Pihkala, Susan Clayton, Eric Lewandowski, Elouise Mayall, Britt Wray, Catriona Mellor and Lise Van Susteren discovered young folks in the Philippines on top of the list as “extremely worried,” on climate change, or a whopping 84 per cent.
The researchers reached out to 10,000 young people, aged 16-25 in ten countries.
United Nations Internationals Children’s Educational Fund (UNICEF) Philippine representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov echoed the global survey’s finding when he said “Children in the Philippines bear the brunt of climate change.”
Children and other young people are the least to be blamed for the effects of climate change — and they are most vulnerable to its effects.
More often, the young have no voice when it comes to decision-making on climate change. “They need to be given more opportunity to meaningfully participate in the decisions and actions that affect them,” Dendevnorov said.
“The voices, perspectives and ideas of children and young people must be heard at the highest levels and taken seriously. Many children and youth are already doing their part,” Dendevnorov added.
Of the 33 countries classified as “extremely high risk” to climate change, the Philippines ranks 31, according to UNICEF’s “The Climate Crisis is Child’s Rights Crisis: Introducing the Children’s Climate Risk Index.”
A study, “Addressing Climate Anxiety Among Young People in the Philippines,” conducted by John Jamir B. Aruta and Patricia Simon, explained the need for more development of creative solutions to deal with climate anxiety among children and other young Filipinos.
It gave three recommendations. First, is the validation of climate anxiety for eco-anxiety measures. There is value in investigating positive and negative mental health correlates of climate anxiety in children and other young people across diverse cultures in the country.
Second is for the Philippine curricula to incorporate mental health, specifically mental health anxiety into the climate change education agenda since such has been neglected.
The Climate Change Act or Republic Act 9729 in 2009 paved the way for integration of climate change education in Philippine School Curricula (eg, DepEd Order 82, Series of 2010) and the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, with particular emphasis on adaptation strategies.
Third is for the Philippine government to include climate change anxiety in its universal health care agenda.
Currently, only a small portion of the entire Philippine health budget is allocated for mental health and there is scarcity of trained mental health workforce.
One solution offered is for the Department of Health (DOH) to conduct capacity-building training for health workers at barangay levels who can provide psychological first aid for vulnerable people.
These trained health workers will ensure and increase the availability and accessibility of psychosocial services to meet the demand of an increasingly climate anxious Filipino youth population.
Collaboration is needed among stakeholders and policymakers for well-informed youth with good mental health empowered to effect changes. They would be a powerful resource in the fight against climate change, the study explained.
Closer to home in Benguet, folks still hold out hope there is a better chance tomorrow to tackle climate change but all must try to work and aim for it.
A study, “Negotiating Climate Change: Vulnerabilities and Resilience of Four Benguet Communities,” conducted by researchers of Benguet State University (BSU) determined the perception, local knowledge and observation of community folks on climate change in localities in Loo, Buguias; Paoay, Atok; Bayabas, Sablan and; Taloy Sur, Tuba.
Common comments of community folks particularly jotted down by the BSU researchers were: “Grabe nan pudot idwani. . . idi ket pirme nan tingnen.” (Nowadays the heat is unbearable, unlike in the past when it’s cold.”
“Idwani, men sakit nan init.” (Nowadays, the sun’s rays are painful to the skin.) “Pirme pudot, nabettak ti daga.” (It has become very hot, even the soil dries and cracks.)
“Haan nga kaya ti pudot, kasla pusot ti baba, pati rabii, napudot.” (The heat is unbearable. It’s like the temperature of the lowlands . . . warm or hot even at nights.)
An elderly informed the researchers that Paoay used to be covered by clouds until 10 AM. In the past, “amog,” ice crystals would form on one’s eyebrows. Nowadays, instead of amog, they experience sweating because of the warm temperature.
With significant variations in climate and its element like increasing temperature, the researchers were informed that “andap” (frost) and “lanti” (hailstone) occur less in terms of frequency and duration.
In conclusion, the study said: “Climate change is indeed a reality in Benguet both perceived by local folks and backed by empirical data.”
“Major changes in the climate are temperature increase, erratic micro-climate, irregular rain pattern and stronger intensity, longer drought and irregular typhoon pattern which primarily have negative consequence such as depletion of water, irrigation, crop and infrastructure damage from typhoons, prevalence of new crop pests and diseases, among others.”
“This is true in all the study sites but crop pest and disease is more prevalent in Loo and Paoay while animal diseases in Bayabas and Taloy Sur.”
Hence, the folks in the study sites developed their own practices to mitigate climate change by applying suitable farming practices, growing new crops and diversifying employment. These communities studied are still resilient to climate change, most especially with respondents whose sources of income are variable.
Surprisingly, the comments of the respondents are often echoed by other residents in Baguio City and other provinces when chanced upon to talk about the changing weather.
Another BSU study conducted by researchers Ma. Luz Fang-asan, Marissa Parao, Mursha Gapasin and Carlito Laurean identified 8 villages in Benguet susceptible to effects of climate change.
These are villages Tinongdan of Itogon; Kamog, Sablan; Loo, Buguias; Balakbak, Kapangan; Guinaoang, Mangkayan; Ampusongan, Bakun; Cattubo, Atok; and Madaymen in Kibungan.
Still, another BSU study titled “Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment in Selected Highland Areas in Benguet: An Application of Vast-Agro Tool” determined Poblacion Tuba and Puguis in La Trinidad were vulnerable to effects of climate change.
Barangay Poblacion, Tuba, had high exposure and sensitivity to the effects of landslides, frost, strong winds and hailstorm. On the other hand, barangay Puguis had higher exposure to typhoons and La Nina.
But generally, both areas have high adaptive capacities, the study concluded.
On the other hand, the Department of Agriculture (DA-CAR) has a program called Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (AMIA) which focuses on climate change to help local communities in pursuing sustainable livelihood while effectively managing climate risks.
AMIA is bulked with a series of initiatives that will help the Philippines shift towards a climate-resilient agricultural system and increase climate resilience in rural areas.