Architects of Adaptation

Since Climate Change is a foregone conclusion, the appropriate response to it has gone beyond reducing risks to learning to live with its consequences. In evolutionary speak, we will now need to adapt to new and unsettling environment.

Clear actionable plans are emerging around the world – Maldives is focusing its tourist income to purchase a new suitable homeland elsewhere (preferably with most similar landscape and culture to their own) and relocate its 300,000 inhabitants.

But what would a similar archipelagic country do with its tens of millions of population?

Beyond the creation of a Climate Change Act with some vague strategic and policy framework, private individuals and associations are taking steps to increase awareness on the need to adapt and provide practicable solutions to adapt to changing environments.

Design Against the Elements

First up is the architectural challenge to create a blueprint for disaster resilience in community housing. This is an international design competition launched on June 2009 by the Institute of International Education (IIE) at the United Nations Plaza in New York and supported by the Philippine Consulate, Gov. Lray Villafuerte, Gawad Kalinga, United Architects of the Philippines and My Shelter Foundation.

To quote Illac Diaz of the Global Design Against the Elements Project:

“Design Against the Elements will focus on the climate displaced communities in Metro Manila, Philippines. Combined with research recently completed by the Manila Observatory on the future challenges of climate in the Naga region (which is a sample of similar challenges in other areas of the Philippines), it aims to design and build a redesigned low income community which will be the new blueprint for how people in the vulnerable coastal areas can successfully cope with impacts of climate variability. The knowledge generated from this study will facilitate the development of policies that address these humanitarian challenges.

The main objective of this competition is to contribute to rural adaptability to climate change impacts, in the form of architectural resiliency to strong typhoon winds and heavy rains. Capacity building in the present social networks such as community, non-government, and government organizations involved with these areas will allow a shift from post-disaster reconstruction to preparing ahead of the storm. The main hypothesis of this project is that having safer structures "ahead of time" will lead to less injury, number of climate refugees, and loss of life and property.”

Run Against the Elements

Associations and musicians are also collaborating to put awareness of climate change adaptation into the mainstream consciousness. Ally Lim who heads the project Run Against the Elements writes:

“Ateneo's Collegiate Society of Advertising (COSA) will be having its first-ever Fun Run on January 24, 2010 (Sunday) at the Ateneo campus grounds called, RUN AGAINST THE ELEMENTS: Ateneo COSA Fun Run 2010 with our slogan: Stand Up to Climate Change. We have partnered with social entrepreneur, Illac Diaz, who started Design Against the Elements.

We are going beyond the spirit of volunteerism. By choosing Design Against the Elements as the cause for our fun run, we will also be promoting its anthem, Stand Up, a collaboration of 50 of the Philippines' finest artists like Kjwan, Cookie Chua, Karl Roy, Jett Pangan, Noel Cabangon, Barbie Almalbis, Migs Escueta, etc.”

The music video Stand Up will be ready for distribution soon.

Here are some links about the above and related initiatives:

http://www.hks.harvard.edu/news-events/news/articles/design-structures

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaB73B4k6lc

I am so glad to see some practical approaches that the people can understand and participate in. I hope to see more of it in the future.

Note to scientists, economists and the government: please translate all your ‘impact-simulation results’, ‘frameworks’, and ‘policies’ into strategies for adaptation that everyone can understand and help put into doable action.

Plan. Do. Act. NOW.