UN Resident Coordinator Blog — Global Issues

“With 7,000 islands and many coastal cities, the Philippines has always been extremely vulnerable to extreme weather events and natural disasters. About 20 typhoons occur each year, many of which can turn into super typhoons, extremely destructive weather events.

As Southeast Asian seas warm due to climate change, more super typhoons are occurring.

There are also about 20 active volcanoes across the country, and according to experts, an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 is expected at any time. Therefore, serious threats such as super typhoons, volcanoes, and earthquakes, exacerbated by climate change, are forcing us to prepare for the “big one,” a natural disaster with enormous potential destructive power.

The Philippines ranks first globally in the World Risk Index, which measures vulnerability and exposure to natural disasters.

However, the extent of the country’s vulnerability is not well known outside the region. Indeed, with my long experience in crisis situations, I immediately recognized the uniqueness of this country when I arrived there as the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.

I realized that the standard toolkit of humanitarian assistance and development programs used in other countries needed to be reassessed to better suit the unique circumstances of the Philippines.

In response, the work of UN country teams has shifted paradigms towards investing in building resilience. This means strengthening national and local capacities to cope with, adapt and recover from current and future shocks.

This is reflected in a very famous Filipino proverb: “Learn to bend while the blanket is short.”

One size does not fit all.

Domestic approaches must also take into account regional differences.

When I visited the area affected by Super Typhoon Odette in 2021, I thought it would share the same cultural identity and political dynamics as other areas, but that was not the case.

Even on small islands, you can face completely different socioeconomic realities just a few kilometers away. One community may request mobile phones to quickly re-establish communication and demonstrate solidarity, while a neighboring community may only need livelihood assistance or some materials to rebuild their homes.

I remember an inspiring local leader on Dinagat Island who explained very clearly the priorities of his community after the super typhoon. She politely questioned our standards and some of the humanitarian interventions being implemented around the world. They argued that some items were unnecessary, highlighted gaps in other areas, and requested tailored responses to increase response efficiency.

What we learn from such experiences is that building resilience begins with recognizing the valuable capital of knowledge, skills and assets that communities can provide. Affected people are in the best position to determine what their needs are during a disaster and where the United Nations can add value.

Incorporating this wealth of local knowledge into humanitarian responses represents a paradigm shift away from the UN’s standard approach. Depicting affected communities as a combination of need and vulnerability is an oversimplification of a complex reality. Developing the humility to listen, discover, and truly engage with your community is an absolute requirement.

Preparedness and Resilience

I visited a UN Development Program and UN Habitat-supported project in Albay Province, in the shadow of the Mayon Volcano, where communities are learning how to fly state-of-the-art drones.

Digital mapping of disaster-prone areas provides essential information for planning and risk assessment to better predict, prepare for, and mitigate the negative impacts of disasters and other natural disasters.

In Mindanao, I met the Bajaus, a seafaring indigenous group whose homes were severely damaged by Super Typhoon Odette in 2021. With support from UN Habitat, community members rebuilt their homes using locally available materials following traditional building practices.

Recognizing and incorporating local creativity was important to develop a bespoke solution. Now their home has a better chance of surviving a typhoon.

UN cooperation

While communities are being empowered to take the lead and prepare for and mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events or earthquakes, the United Nations is working with governments and other partners to coordinate the international response to potentially catastrophic events.

As the UN Resident Coordinator and UN Humanitarian Coordinator, my role is to first make global knowledge and practices available to governments, secondly to build alliances to support integrated humanitarian and development solutions, and finally to leverage finance. Resources that make it sustainable.

When I started working at the United Nations almost 30 years ago, there was an artificial division of labor between humanitarian and development work. These gaps appeared across programs, strategies, and budgets. We humbly recognize that the nature and scale of today’s crisis requires a more holistic and integrated approach. We call this the ‘nexus approach’.

Our new Anticipatory Action pilot program* combines community knowledge, technology, digitalization and logistics into a single formula.

We typically send out warnings 36 hours before the arrival of a super typhoon to activate anticipatory action, including arranging cash transfers to previously identified people. This money can help families move valuable assets such as boats and tools, as well as stock up on food or move to shelter.

Experience shows that for every dollar we invest in prevention, we save $4 in rebuilding costs.

As you can see, exposure to disasters and vulnerability to climate change have made Filipinos uniquely resilient. The spirit of ‘Save Lives’ is widespread in the community.

Filipinos often say this.As long as there is life, there is hope.”

*The Predictive Action Pilot Program is implemented by United Nations agencies (World Food Programme, UNICEF, International Organization for Migration, Food and Agriculture Organization, and UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency) and is supported by the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund. (CERF)