The UN IPCC forecasts show that during this century, the earth is likely to warm by 3 degrees centigrade. This would have tremendous adverse effects on the earth’s biodiversity and ecosystems. In the Philippines, we have experienced the effects of extreme weather events caused by disruptions in the earth’s natural clock – a delayed rainy season and a longer dry spell that have had grave effects on our agricultural production. In other parts of the globe, springtime events occur earlier, resulting in increased run-off and peak discharge in many glacier- and snow-fed rivers, affecting the migration and egg-laying of birds, and the shifting of animal and plant species toward higher latitudes. The report warns that at current trends, by mid-century, the annual average river runoff and water availability will increase by 10-40 percent at high latitudes and in some wet tropical areas, while decreasing by 10-30 percent in some dry regions at mid-latitudes and in the dry tropics. The number of drought-affected areas is expected to increase, and regions that now rely on glacier-fed rivers for their drinking water, home to about one-sixth of the world’s population, will likely see reduced availability.

While various initiatives are being undertaken to adapt to climate change, "they are, by and large, insufficient in dealing with the scope of the potential problems," the report said. For this reason, governments are urged to "undertake decisive efforts to alleviate the worst consequences that may result from global warming" by exploring a new environmental framework that would provide for adequate, large-scale adaptation measures to alleviate some of the worst consequences pointed out in the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report.