Climate change from the lens of Malolos children: perception, impact and adaptation

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to understand how Filipino children perceive climate change; second, to determine how children themselves adapt to its impacts; and third, to identify the level of support available at the household, community, and city levels as children adjust to their changing environment. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study was conducted in three peri-urban communities in Malolos, Philippines, looking at the perception and adaptation mechanisms of children in the face of climate change, using Lazarus and Folkman’s typology for children’s coping strategies in stressful situations. The support that children receive at the household, community, and city levels was also examined. Findings Climate change has impacted the daily lives of children, aggravating in particular the “everyday” and “invisible” risks of those who belong to poor households. In general, emotion-focused coping that hinges on denial or distancing did not seem to be prominent among children; many of them were rather pre-disposed to problem-focused coping as they try to cope with the impacts of climate change in their immediate environment. Unfortunately, however, interventions to mitigate the impacts of climate change on children at the household, community, and city levels were found to be lacking. Research limitations/implications The selected communities do not represent the wide spectrum of localities in the Philippines. At best, findings from the small sample size provide only a snapshot of the conditions of children living in peri-urban areas. Practical implications The study points to the need for child-sensitive climate change adaptation at the household, community, and city levels to support the coping mechanisms of children. Originality/value The study adopts a multi-level approach at understanding the impacts of climate change on Filipino children and the interventions that they and other social institutions have undertaken in response thereto. Findings add empirical evidence to growing literature on the subject, especially in the context of the Philippines where academic studies on the matter remain scant.