Comparative insights on climate adaptation policies of the Philippines and Japan

Both the Philippines and Japan are at the forefront of climate adaptation. The results of the 2020 Global Climate Risk Index by German Watch Institute reveals that based on the impacts of extreme weather events and socio-economic losses, both countries are among the worst hit by climate change.

The research project entitled “A Tale of Two Countries: Comparing Climate Adaptation Policies of the Philippines and Japan and its Implications for Strategic Cooperation” funded by the Toshiba Foundation aimed to present a comparative analysis and assessments of climate adaptation policies of both countries. Using a five-tiered analytical framework (policy assessments, analysis for policy and analysis of policy approach, policy cycle approach, policy question approach and case study evaluation), the researchers presented a comprehensive and detailed accounts and description of both countries climate adaptation policies through multi-analytical and multi-dimensional perspectives.

Results of the analysis disclosed that both Japan and the Philippines share common grounds in terms of climate adaptation policy objectives/goals, key priority sectors/areas, key policy actors involved, and adaptation measures employed; however, there are differences due to some distinct localized contexts. Given their shared geographical location and experience with natural disasters, both countries can be argued to share commonalities in terms of policy priority sectors in climate adaptation. Food security/agriculture; water security; environmental sustainability or the natural ecosystems; and human security/natural disasters are among the priority areas in climate adaptation which are common to both countries.

Governance of climate adaptation is multi-level and polycentric in both the Philippines and Japan. It is multi-level because both national and sub- national governments have legal obligations and mandates to fulfil in climate adaptation actions, and it is polycentric because climate adaptation responsibilities are shared among various government agencies as well as non-state actors such as the private sector and the general public.

Both countries adhere to similar patterns in climate adaptation policy-making, which is a cyclical and iterative process that reflects the adaptive approach to climate change policy-making. Japan's policy process is divided into four stages: plan, implement, measure, and act. The Philippines' adaptation policy process involves the following steps: plan and consult, enforce, monitor and assess, oversee and report.

In the main, the climate adaptation policies of both countries are deemed compliant at the theoretical legal-policy level in terms of ease of implementation, legitimacy, coherence, and transparency, notwithstanding apparent gaps that arise during policy implementation.

Two climate adaptation case studies were examined using the IAD Framework: "Promoting Resilience and Climate-Informed Gerona" in Tarlac, Philippines, and the ACROS in Fukuoka, Japan. Both projects represent the aspirations of their individual towns or communities to increase environmental sustainability and resilience while exploring the co-benefits of climate action. These two adaptation initiatives represent community efforts to create resilience and enhance residents' interests while managing the interconnections of the economy, environment, human welfare, and climate change.

As policy recommendations, the researchers propose that both countries leverage upon common climate adaptation priorities. Cooperation can be focused along eight major sectors, namely Agriculture, Biodiversity; Coastal and Marine; and Water since these are considered not only as common priority sectors for both countries but are areas where Japan has specialized expertise and experiences. Moreover, it may also be strategic for both Japan and the Philippines to jointly implement development initiatives that have co-adaptation climate benefits. Japanese cooperation aid to the Philippines may be channelled along this line of development- cum-adaptation projects. In doing so, the Japanese government's development cooperation initiatives can help in two ways: 1) by assisting the Philippines in implementing activities aimed at addressing economic development and, as a result, contributing to climate change adaptation; and 2) by assisting the Philippines in designing activities that incorporate climate data into the design and implementation of development action. It would also be wise to consider cooperation between local government units of the two countries and partnership with NGOs, research institutes etc. for capacity-building on climate adaptation. Finally, a specialized focus on the complementarities between climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction management may also be taken into account considering that Japan has a relatively longer and well-established mechanism and vast experiences on disaster risk reduction and management.