Climate-Resilient Development in Eastern Visayas
A briefer on the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities’ work in the Eastern Visayas region
Published on May 2024
The Eastern Visayas region has been at the forefront of climate change impacts.
Out of six provinces in the region, four have been included in the list of climate-vulnerable provinces in the Philippines by the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAMDRR), in particular: Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, and Southern Leyte.
Super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), which struck in 2013, served as a stark reminder of the region’s vulnerability, disproportionately affecting the region’s most vulnerable populations, including the poor, women, differently-abled people (PWDs), and those whose livelihoods are reliant on agriculture, fishing, and forestry. The lack of access to reliable and sustainable energy in the region, especially in off-grid areas, also poses a significant concern, hindering the delivery of life-saving services to frontline communities, more so during emergencies.
The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), a Philippine-based non-governmental organization that advances climate, energy, and low-carbon solutions to enable fair and climate-resilient development at the national and international levels, began its work in Eastern Visayas in the aftermath of Haiyan. In the establishment of ICSC’s RE-Charge Pilipinas initiative in 2014, the organization demonstrated the centrality of community-driven renewable energy and innovation in achieving climate resilience and inclusive low-carbon development in the region and in the Philippines.
Communities and citizens in Eastern Visayas have been moving forward since Haiyan hit the region, recognizing the importance of integrating climate action in their local development strategies. ICSC has continued its work in the region, and has now expanded its work with local governments and communities, pushing for an environment that enables climate adaptation and low-carbon strategies and helping forge a path towards climate-resilient development in Eastern Visayas.