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National Adaptation Plan

NATIONAL ADAPTATION PLAN

THE NATIONAL ADAPTATION PROCESS

As a highly vulnerable developing country, the Philippines considers climate adaptation as a primary approach and necessary component in development planning. The Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meanwhile recognizes that national planning can aid countries in determining their vulnerabilities, in mainstreaming climate change risks, and in addressing adaptation.

Within the broader context of sustainable development planning, the UNFCCC established the national adaptation plan (NAP) process as a way to facilitate adaptation planning, with the following objectives:

  • To reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, by building adaptive capacity and resilience;
  • To facilitate the integration of climate change adaptation, in a coherent manner, into relevant new and existing policies, programmes and activities, in particular development planning processes and strategies, within all relevant sectors and at different levels, as appropriate.

Under the Paris Agreement[1], Parties are encouraged to “engage in adaptation planning processes and implement adaptation actions, including the development or enhancement of relevant plans, policies and/or contributions,” including formulating and implementing national adaptation plans.

The NAP process allows countries to address their medium- and long-term adaptation needs, building on a country-driven, gender-sensitive, participatory, and fully transparent approach.

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL ADAPTATION PLAN (NAP) 2023-2050

In 2023, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), with support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UK-FCDO) and British Embassy Manila (BEM), and assistance from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as technical partner of the UK-FCDO / BEM, developed a multi-hazard, multi-sectoral NAP for the Philippines that will guide the prioritization of actions at the national and subnational level. 

The Philippines’ NAP aims to reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change by building the adaptive capacity and resilience of the country and facilitating the integration of climate change adaptation into new and existing policies, programs, and government activities. 

Specifically, the NAP aims to:

  • Identify priority high-risk climate change vulnerable areas in the Philippines, based on solid data and evidence, which will then serve as the basis for conducting detailed risk assessments and developing adaptation programs;
  • Provide guidance on integrating adaptation considerations into planning, coordination, and implementation processes at all levels of government and across society and ecosystems, and
  • Harmonize national strategies with international commitments for developing robust medium- and long-term adaptation plans to build the country’s adaptive capacity and resilience. 

The NAP development process pursued the National Climate Risk Management Framework (NCRMF) - undertake risk profiling, assessment, and management needed to increase the adaptive capacity of communities. 

It employed a country-driven, gender-responsive, participatory, and intensive multi-stakeholder approach to ensure that views and inputs from all stakeholders were considered and incorporated into the NAP. The consultative process involved more than 25 local scientists and experts from various academic fields (physical and social sciences), 27 national government agencies, representatives from the academe, the private sector, civil society organizations (CSOs), and development partners.  

The Philippine NAP builds on the National Framework Strategy on Climate Change (NFSCC) and the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP), serving as the basis for identifying the 8 key sector outcomes[2] as pillars for adaptation actions for societal well-being, stability, and economic resilience. The NAP outlines the country’s strategies and approaches in implementing climate change adaptation initiatives and measures, both at the national and subnational level, and key cross-cutting enablers to mobilize climate action towards enhancing the country’s adaptive capacities and resilience. 

The NAP identifies four key climatic impact drivers (CIDs)—climate conditions that affect the country’s social and ecological vulnerabilities. These are: 

  • Increased temperatures and drought;
  • Sea level rise and extreme sea levels;
  • Extreme precipitation; and
  • Extreme wind and tropical cyclones.

These were determined based on historical and climate trends as well as extreme events, and identifying them is crucial in charting specific measures to address potential climate losses and damages. The CIDs were identified in consultation with national climate experts (i.e., the National Panel of Technical Experts and Consultative Group of Experts for the Philippines’ NAP development) and validated by the NAP National Steering Committee Agencies, specifically the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).



[1] ADOPTION OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT - Paris Agreement text English (unfccc.int)

[2] Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food Security, Water Resources, Health, Ecosystems and Biodiversity, Cultural Heritage, Population Displacement, and Migration, Land Use and Human Settlements, Livelihoods and Industries, and Energy, Transport, and Communications