Extreme Weather in the Philippines

Studies found that more than 530,000 people had died worldwide from 15,000 extreme weather events in the last two decades, including floods, mudslides and droughts, with economic losses of $2.17 trillionThe report showed countries that are recurrently affected by catastrophes, such as the Philippines and Pakistan, and are included both in the long-term index and in the last 4 years' lists of countries most affected.
The year's strongest typhoon, Typhoon Rammasun (local name Glenda), killed around 100 people, destroyed over 100,000 houses and damaged 400,000 others.Philippine government data shows that more than 6,000 people were killed and millions of others were affected by super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013."Constant calamities from storms and floods take a heavy toll on the Philippines," said Raymund Liboro, assistant secretary for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction of the Department of Science and Technology. "We realized that climate change is the defining challenge for our people and planet."




http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/philippines-hardest-hit-by-extreme-weather-in-2013/http://interaksyon.com/article/121069/philippines-included-in-top-of-climate-change-risk-list

Subsidence Hazards in the Philippines

According to the article, "Overpopulated..." by Rouchelle R. Dinglasan, a professor at the University of Illinois, Kelvin S. Rodolfo, has claimed that Metro Manila, the most populated city and the national capital region of the Philippines, is sinking faster than others may think due to overpopulation. Overpopulation results in over-pumping groundwater, over-pumping groundwater results in land subsidence, This subsidence is adding to the already rising water caused by global warming. Such land subsidence can create high tides that can reach farther into the land which can result in flooding. Citizens of the Philippines and geologists are coming together to find that the solution to this problem can only be reducing ground usage which means controlling population or bringing water from outside sources. Scientists are suggesting that big companies, houses, and fish pond owners to stop using groundwater to prevent such subsidence.




Any large, rapidly growing community built on a coastal river delta that uses much groundwater (is a candidate for rapid subsidence) - See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/298939/scitech/science/overpopulated-metro-manila-is-sinking-and-flooding-fast#sthash.MX1RLrKb.dpuf