Climate change vulnerability assessment of the coastal resources in Moalboal, Cebu, Central Philippines

Abstract

The municipality of Moalboal (Cebu, Central Philippines) falls under Cluster XI (coastal and marine areas of the south Sulu Sea are most prone to sea level rise) in the climate-ocean hazard typology. Coastal activities, such as aquaculture, fishing, recreation, and tourism are integral to Moalboal’s economy. Its economy is partly dependent on coastal resources and could be vulnerable to sea level rise. Hence, there is a need to determine the vulnerability profile of the municipality, through indicator-based vulnerability assessment. Results using vulnerability assessment tools coupled with GIS-based workflows showed that the overall vulnerability to climate change of mangroves was moderate and low for both seagrasses and corals. A better understanding of how human activities may directly and indirectly affect coastal resources is urgently needed. Integrated coastal zone management provides a major opportunity to address the many issues and challenges of climate change in an effort to design and develop adaptation strategies.