BAGUIO CITY – The city council has sought the formulation of an integrated program on climate change for the city to cope with the expected impact of global warming and other repercussions of climate change.

“While the City has a Solid Waste Management Ordinance, Water Code and Clean Air Ordinance, there is a need for an integrated program on climate change for the City, which should include mitigation and adaptation measures,” the body noted in Resolution No. 384 series of 2009.

Proponent councilors Betty Lourdes Tabanda and Nicasio Palaganas said climate change is now being felt in the country including the city where trends of increasing numbers of hot days and warm nights and extreme weather episodes like intense rains are observed.

They said the climate change will surely affect water, food security, health, biological diversity and ecosystem and plans are needed to mitigate these effects.

“The Fourth Assessment Report of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC) reveals that the global average surface temperature increased by 0.74 C in 1960-2005, which is higher than the Third Assessment Report of 0.6  C (1901-2000),” the resolution noted.

“The global average sea level rose due to increased in the global average surface temperature at an average rate of 1.8 mm `per year over 1961 to 2003 or a total of 0.17m for the 21^st century;

“There are projected increases due to future warming from 1.4 C to 5.8  C during the 21^st century, leading to an increase in the sea level from 18 - 59 cm by 2100;

“Human activity and the increase in the release in the atmosphere of greenhouse cases have been identified as among the causes for the rise in temperature an indication of climate change.”–aileen p. refuerzo