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MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government is set to develop climate-resilient communities in Tawi-Tawi using $10 million from the Adaptation Fund to finance a project focused on improving water supply, access and management.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Finance (DOF) secured the P556-million project during the 44th Board Meeting in Bonn, Germany held from April 8 to 11. This is also the country’s first Adaptation Fund-financed project.
The project will particularly strengthen the capacity of the municipalities of Sibutu and Sitangkai to adapt to and cope with climate-related environmental changes.
“This project is not only the country’s first access to the Adaptation Fund. It is, more importantly, an assertion of our promise that no Filipino will be left behind in our nation’s pursuit of climate resilience and sustainable development,” Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said in a joint statement on Wednesday, April 30.
A 2024 report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) found that access to fresh water in Tawi-Tawi has been a "perennial challenge." The report said that schools in the area often rely on rainwater to meet their needs for clean water, including sanitation and hygiene.
To solve this, the government plans to implement a $10 million project based on the water-energy-food nexus framework, which acknowledges the interdependence of these systems. This approach ensures that challenges in one system are addressed with the others in mind.
The nexus approach, which was first promoted at international policymaking events in 2010, uses water to illustrate the overlaps among the three systems.
For example, water plays a key role in food production, cooling systems, power generation, treatment, irrigation and even fuel extraction. In other words, to ensure food and energy security, protecting a community’s access and supply of water is crucial.
This idea is reflected in the project’s name: “Harnessing the water-energy-food nexus to address and adapt to climate change impacts in Tawi-Tawi.”
“This project is fully aligned with our National Adaptation Plan, which emphasizes securing food supply while nurturing our natural resources and sustaining livelihoods as one of our core strategies in our fight against climate change,” DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga said.
The DENR said the project includes several key components:
- Deploying climate-resilient water supply systems using existing renewable energy infrastructure in Tawi-Tawi
- Building local capacity for sustainable water management
- Enhancing livelihood and job opportunities
- Supporting knowledge management to help expand the project in other parts of the country
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Mindanao Development Authority were tasked to implement the project.
“The Environment Chief added that the project showcases how the water-energy-food nexus recognizes the interconnectedness of vital resources and leads to more effective climate solutions,” Yulo-Loyzaga said.
According to the United Nations Climate Change (UNCC), the Adaptation Fund was created in 2001 to finance projects and programs in developing countries vulnerable to climate change, particularly those under the Kyoto Protocol.
However, the international treaty was replaced by the Paris Agreement, which has similar aims of limiting global temperature rise by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
A significant portion of the Adaptation Fund comes from voluntary contributions. Based on UNCC’s data, as of June 2024, these contributions have totaled $1.49 billion (~P82 billion), with an additional $121 million (~P6.7 billion) earned from investment income on the Trust Fund balance.
The Philippines, through the DOF, is also a member of the Adaptation Fund Board as one of the developing countries bearing the brunt of climate change.
“By placing communities like Tawi-Tawi at the forefront of global climate financing, we are doubling down on our commitment to ensure that we uplift the lives of every Filipino, especially those most at risk,” Recto said.
One of the most recent disaster-related impacts in Tawi-Tawi occurred in January, when rains from easterlies caused heavy flooding in Mindanao. In Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, residents were reportedly forced to tear down a wall in a compound to release trapped water.
