Island inhabitants of the Philippines bravely face mounting ocean levels, striving against the flooding of their sinking homeland.
In the Bulacan province of the Philippines, the tiny island of Pugad is facing a significant challenge due to land subsidence, a phenomenon caused by the overextraction of groundwater and exacerbated by rising sea levels due to global warming.
Geologist Mahar Lagmay, who led a study on the sinking of Pugad and surrounding regions, describes the situation as "alarming." Homes on Pugad have been raised on stilts to keep floors dry, and small business owners use high tables to keep their wares above the murky water that can rise to 1.5 meters (five feet) on heavy flooding days.
The routine of removing seawater has become necessary due to the rising tides of Manila Bay swallowing the island. Groundwater extraction has been banned in parts of Bulacan since 2004, but a broad national strategy to address the issue is yet to be implemented.
Maria Tamayo, a street food vendor in Pugad, wakes before her grandchildren to remove seawater from her home using a plastic dustpan. Her family has been elevating their house each year since 2022, spending 200,000 pesos ($3,500) so far.
Pugad village captain Jaime Gregorio states that it's impossible for life in the village to return to normal due to climate change. Roads in Pugad are being raised every three years to keep the community viable, but the implementation of long-term flood mitigation projects is inconsistent due to leadership changes.
Class schedules are adjusted daily based on tide charts to prevent children from contracting flood-borne diseases. Sea levels in the Philippines are rising at a rate of 13 millimeters per year, accelerating from the global average of 3.6 millimeters. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) warns that coastal areas could disappear without large-scale intervention due to sea level rise.
Elenida Basug, the DENR's climate change service director, emphasizes the need for climate justice, stating that the Philippines, with a minimal contribution to climate change, is severely affected by its adverse effects. Maria Tamayo urges the world's polluters to take responsibility for the impacts of climate change on her and her neighbors in Pugad.
Pugad is a seven-hectare speck of land with a population of approximately 2,500 people living in its only village. It's not the only one at risk in coastal Bulacan, as parts of the province are sinking at a rate of almost 11 centimeters (4.3 inches) a year, the fastest in the Philippines. A government study on the path forward is not expected until 2028, according to DENR geosciences chief Karlo Queano.
The sinking of Pugad and surrounding regions is a stark reminder of the urgent need for action to combat climate change and its effects. The situation in Pugad underscores the importance of climate justice and the need for a comprehensive national strategy to address the issue of groundwater overextraction and its impact on land subsidence.
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