Each year, the Philippines suffers from multiple floods and typhoons. While it already deals with several natural disasters each year, the country is predicted to undergo further atrocities as climate change continues to exacerbate. As an archipelago, the Philippines is surrounded by the oceans and is at direct threat of rise in sea level, one of many consequences of climate change. To make situations worse, a recent study has revealed that many coastal cities in Metro Manila are subject to sinking in the next few decades. 

Metro Manila is home to over 12 million people and is the economic, political, and cultural center of the nation. However, the location of the region makes it prone to high tides and multiple typhoons that only become stronger and frequent each year, flooding the area. Particularly at Manila Bay, the sea level has been observed to rise at quadruple the global rate, with 13.2mm rising in 2018. As commonly known, the rise in global temperatures has led to increased water from melting ice sheets and expansion of water under high temperatures, resulting in rising sea levels. 

Simultaneously, excessive groundwater extraction within Metro Manila has contributed to continual land subsidence. Land subsidence is a phenomenon when the ground gradually sinks or settles downwards as subsurface earth materials become removed or displaced, often in situations where massive amounts of groundwater are withdrawn from areas made up of fine-grained sedimentary rocks. This geological characteristic of an area can cause rocks to compact as water previously contributed as a factor that has kept the ground at its original level.  (United States Geological Survey) In the case of Metro Manila, the demand for water has increased constantly since the rapid industrialization of the region has led to increases in its population. The city’s then solution of extracting bulks of groundwater has now led to a future where some regions of the area might disappear on the map.

Although some people are fleeing from the rising sea levels in the coastal regions, millions of impoverished families do not have the option to move to a different area. While they could escape the constant threats of flooding if they move, their livelihoods are at stake as this can affect their job, ways of transportation, access to health services, and more. (Sengupta) Time is ticking for the Philippines before its cities fall to the water. 

Works Cited:

Ng, Desmond. “Why Manila Is at Risk of Becoming an Underwater City.” CNA, Mediacorp, 22 Dec. 2020, www.channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainsider/why-manila-risks-becoming-underwater-city-climate-change-12537632.

Sengupta, Somini. “A Crisis Right Now: San Francisco and Manila Face Rising Seas.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 13 Feb. 2020, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/02/13/climate/manila-san-francisco-sea-level-rise.html.