The phenomenon of consecutive storms, increasingly severe floods and natural disasters overlapping natural disasters is showing a clear picture of life on the front lines of climate change, scientists warn in their article on the storm situation in the Philippines.
In the city of Marikina, which is heavily flooded almost every year, the leader of the Philippine Red Cross Society Jennifer de Guzman is very familiar with the harsh rhythm of disaster response work.
But the situation in Cebu during the Tino storm (international name Kalmaegi) was completely different. Although we are used to emergency response, the scale of damage in Cebu forces us to do more: Coordinate more, mobilize more human resources and take more time," she said of the 10-day relief campaign after Typhoon No. 13 in the South China Sea made landfall in the Philippines in early November.
Mayfourth Luneta - Deputy Director of the Philippine Disaster Prevention and response Center shared: Previously, we only saw 1-2 strong typhoons per year. Now it feels like 3 storms in 1 week".
According to her, previous storms are not as serious as they are now and the Philippines is seeing the increasingly severe impact of climate change with its own eyes. "The environment has been devastated for many years and now we are paying the price with a series of disasters," she said.
Scientists and frontline response forces warn that climate change is significantly changing the types, frequency and severity of disasters in the Philippines.
Ms. Gwendolyn Pang - General Secretary of the Philippine Red Cross Society - emphasized that these changes are not confusing. The frequency and intensity of storms have increased significantly, she said.
Last year, the Southeast Asian country experienced a cluster of 6 typhoons in less than 5 weeks. This year, two super typhoons Kalmaegi and Fung-wong (local name Uwan) swept through the Philippines just a few days apart, killing more than 250 people.
Previously, the Philippines also continuously faced super typhoons such as Bopha (2012), Haiyan 2013 or Rai (2021).
New climate studies are starting to qualitate the things that the local community has long felt. Experts at the Grantham Institute of Imperial College London, UK, said climate change has increased the devastation caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi and Typhoon Fung-wong.
Man-made climate change has increased wind speeds and rainfall, making such storms more frequent, more dangerous and causing greater damage due to continued use of fossil fuels, said Grantham Institute Director Ralf Toumi.
The Philippines is located right in the Pacific typhoon belt and the western Pacific typhoon basin, two areas with the highest level of natural disaster risk in the world. According to the 2025 World Risk Index published by the German Development Assistance Union and the International Institute of Law on Peace and Conflict, the Philippines is the country with the highest risk of natural disasters globally, while Japan ranks 17th.
Japan, which is also facing typhoons and earthquakes in the same area, has significantly reduced its risks thanks to better planning and preparation. This shows that risk does not mean danger. The risk must be managed, stressed Professor and geologist Mahar Lagmay of the University of the Philippines.
