Unraveling the Unknown: Raising the Profile of Slow Onset Impacts in Adaptation by iCSC

Slow onset climate impacts is an emerging field in climate science that is now receiving more attention because of the pervasive consequences, especially at a landscape scale. Food security, for example, is a major concern here as it relates to worsening agricultural conditions and loss of livelihoods for the most vulnerable communities. It would be helpful to understand if the research plan aims to improve the science on slow onset impacts by developing models for future scenarios? Additional clarity on why specific communities have been chosen and whether they are potential policy champions to think about long term adaptation needs. Lastly, it would be interesting to see how iCSC's work on the People's Survival Fund, a direct access fund for adaptation in the Philippines, might relate to this new research. The Philippines has an incredibly vibrant civil society and integrating them in the early research and policy phases is essential for successful adaptation planning.

Below is a more complete summary of the proposal, it is more complete than what is entered in the contest's front end: There are two major classifications of climate change impacts—extreme weather conditions or acute hazards (such as typhoons, flashfloods, and landslides) and slow onset impacts or chronic hazards (prolonged drought, increasing precipitation, and changes in ocean temperature) (Siegele, 2012, p. 5). Studies have shown that acute hazards can potentially increase in terms of severity and frequency due to climate change. On the other hand, chronic hazards, the ones that are framed in the long term appear to fall in a gray area in both scientific research and policy. Understanding both is equally important to address climate change impacts. Unfortunately for the Philippines and in most countries, a fixation on the short-term climatic impacts has been observed throughout the development years of climate change initiatives [1]. Without question, addressing acute hazards and its effects on lives and livelihoods is important but it is high time that a discussion on the long term climatic impacts should be started (UN-Food and Agriculture Organization, 2011, p. n.p.). A long term undertaking on measuring climate change impacts is usually set aside because they are almost unfelt and difficult to measure. Slow onset climatic impacts when given enough time and without interventions would result to damages especially on human security and food security. The extent of damages incurred over long years of exposure to climatic impacts, no matter how slow and small, are irreversible and irreparable (Siegele, 2012, p. 7). The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (iCSC) sees and believes that a compelling research will pave the way for scientifically provable policy recommendations on slow onset impacts. Pursuing an undertaking on slow onset impacts research is very important for a country such as the Philippines because it has both elements necessary in framing and testing the research- vulnerability and existing policies. Philippines’ high vulnerability ranking as reported in 2012 is a compelling proof that climate-related policies should be done comprehensively (Harmeling & Eckstein, 2012, p. 7). The passage of the People’s Survival Fund (PSF), the Philippines first ever legislated climate finance mechanism, marked an opportunity to increase the profile and importance of climate change-related research, such as the proposed research. Conducting this research is a good way to jumpstart the discussions between government agencies, civil society organizations, academe, and stakeholders (including but not limited to farmers, fisher folks, and urban poor) on how Philippines should best approach this issue. iCSC works closely with local governments, academic institutions, businesses, and civil society organizations to promote policy innovation and sustainable social enterprise. We played a major leadership role during the advocacy push for the PSF and we are currently working on policy recommendations for the PSF governing body. We are a respected voice in the international climate finance arena, with over four decades of combined experience in the UN climate negotiations. [1] According to Alexander Müller, FAO Assistant Director General for Natural resources, "Currently the world is focused on dealing with shorter-term climate impacts caused mainly by extreme weather events." http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/54337/icode/

This research once finished will be published electronically and physically as a basis for policymaking and planning not only in the Philippines but also in other countries. Projecting a budget after 12 months of implementation will depend on the stakeholders that will use the research but an initial allocation of US$2,000 will be utilized for the first set of printed copies (more or less 500 copies). For the Philippines alone, an additional US$3,500 will be raised to fund actual policy advocacy to mainstream the research in actual discourse in the legislative and executive branches of the government. Majority of the US$3,500 will be used in organizing policy discussions that will include policymakers, executives from line agencies, community organizations, local representatives, academe, and media. An assessment on the efficacy of these allocations will be conducted after to identify challenges and opportunities for further development.