What typhoons and corruption in the Philippines tell us about the climate catastrophe
On the heels of Typhoon Kalmaegi, Typhoon Fung-wong has torn through the Philippines with winds of 115 mph and gusts of 143 mph. Some (usually poorer) communities are cut off because the conditions are too dangerous to permit rescue. Residents like Jennifer Amata were forced to flee for hope of not joining the already rising death toll saying “we feared for our lives.” Tonight she will sleep in a dingy sports hall with her five children and grandchildren, hoping for relief from these unprecedented back to back typhoons. While that is happening, the children of corrupt politicians post videos of their uncoordinated TikTok dances recorded on their fifth holiday of the year paid for by Mummy and Daddy’s blood money.
As the Philippines lies in a typhoon-prone region with 20 tropical cyclones forming every year, you’d think there’d be adequate typhoon defence—and apparently there is. 5,500 flood control projects have apparently been completed since 2022, to be exact. Yet Typhoon Kalmaegi claimed at least 224 lives, and poorer neighbourhoods continue to be obliterated. This happens as the money meant for flood defence falls into the pockets of corrupt officials. 118 billion pesos went to a corrupt crew of contractors, lawmakers and other officials involved in flood defence construction. This has led to some of the largest protests the country has seen, as taxpayers find themselves losing billions of pesos and hundreds of lives to each typhoon.
Although corruption in the Philippine government is a significant factor, it is not the only one. Climate change has increased the intensity of typhoons as warmer oceans combined with a warmer atmosphere lead to higher wind speeds, heavier rainfall, and a greater risk of coastal flooding, which simplifies into a climate crisis. The Philippines is becoming uninhabitable with coastal regions being worst affected by rising sea levels and increasingly frequent storm surges forcing locals to become climate change refugees and flee to the already overburdened urban centres.
As this number is expected to grow, we must ask — is there a resolution to this? I interviewed Priyanka Lalla, a climate activist and UNICEF Youth Advocate for the Eastern Caribbean, on the possibility of erasing the damage. She claimed “The possibility of healing lies in bold, united, and immediate action” though she criticises the lacklustre efforts already made, saying they “cannot succeed without global solidarity. High-income countries have a moral responsibility to fulfil their climate finance commitments, pledging real support for mitigation and adaptation in low- and middle-income nations. They must reduce emissions drastically, end fossil fuel subsidies, and invest in sustainable transitions that prioritise people over profit.” She sums up her views with “Climate justice is not about charity; it is about responsibility. It is about ensuring that every child, no matter where they are born, inherits a liveable planet.”
Lalla describes the role high-income countries (HICs) play in climate change: “Through decades of industrialisation and carbon-intensive development, [HICs] have been the primary contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. The carbon footprints of these nations have far outweighed those of developing and island nations combined.” The uninhabitable post-apocalyptic hellscape climate disaster distant future we fear is the present for the Philippines, which is buckling under the weight of a climate catastrophe it did not bring on. HICs continue to make promises they break. They preach to low-income countries on how they can do better at climate conferences and then leave in private jets. “The inequity runs deep,” Lalla says about this divide, “high-income nations continue to invest in fossil fuels, delay emissions targets, and provide inadequate climate financing to vulnerable nations struggling to rebuild.”
The consequences are daunting; the infrastructure and agriculture damage will lead to displacement, food insecurity, interrupted education and further hindered development. “The science is clear,” Lalla summarises, “and it demonstrates that urgent, meaningful action must be taken. Just days ago, Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica—displacing families and destroying livelihoods. Floods in Pakistan, fires in Canada, droughts in East Africa; these are not distant tragedies. We need clear, measurable goals that hold governments, companies, and individuals accountable. But more than that, we need solidarity, a willingness to work together, across borders and sectors, towards meaningful climate action.”
The blood of innocent people is on the hands of both the corrupt officials profiting off the typhoons and the HICs that turn a blind eye to their role in the climate catastrophe. With Typhoon Fung-wong ravaging through the Philippines, there is little hope for any substantial solution in the near future.
Photo by Carl Kho on Unsplash
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Blame it on the rain (and the climate crisis)
What typhoons and corruption in the Philippines tell us about the climate catastrophe
On the heels of Typhoon Kalmaegi, Typhoon Fung-wong has torn through the Philippines with winds of 115 mph and gusts of 143 mph. Some (usually poorer) communities are cut off because the conditions are too dangerous to permit rescue. Residents like Jennifer Amata were forced to flee for hope of not joining the already rising death toll saying “we feared for our lives.” Tonight she will sleep in a dingy sports hall with her five children and grandchildren, hoping for relief from these unprecedented back to back typhoons. While that is happening, the children of corrupt politicians post videos of their uncoordinated TikTok dances recorded on their fifth holiday of the year paid for by Mummy and Daddy’s blood money.
As the Philippines lies in a typhoon-prone region with 20 tropical cyclones forming every year, you’d think there’d be adequate typhoon defence—and apparently there is. 5,500 flood control projects have apparently been completed since 2022, to be exact. Yet Typhoon Kalmaegi claimed at least 224 lives, and poorer neighbourhoods continue to be obliterated. This happens as the money meant for flood defence falls into the pockets of corrupt officials. 118 billion pesos went to a corrupt crew of contractors, lawmakers and other officials involved in flood defence construction. This has led to some of the largest protests the country has seen, as taxpayers find themselves losing billions of pesos and hundreds of lives to each typhoon.
Although corruption in the Philippine government is a significant factor, it is not the only one. Climate change has increased the intensity of typhoons as warmer oceans combined with a warmer atmosphere lead to higher wind speeds, heavier rainfall, and a greater risk of coastal flooding, which simplifies into a climate crisis. The Philippines is becoming uninhabitable with coastal regions being worst affected by rising sea levels and increasingly frequent storm surges forcing locals to become climate change refugees and flee to the already overburdened urban centres.
As this number is expected to grow, we must ask — is there a resolution to this? I interviewed Priyanka Lalla, a climate activist and UNICEF Youth Advocate for the Eastern Caribbean, on the possibility of erasing the damage. She claimed “The possibility of healing lies in bold, united, and immediate action” though she criticises the lacklustre efforts already made, saying they “cannot succeed without global solidarity. High-income countries have a moral responsibility to fulfil their climate finance commitments, pledging real support for mitigation and adaptation in low- and middle-income nations. They must reduce emissions drastically, end fossil fuel subsidies, and invest in sustainable transitions that prioritise people over profit.” She sums up her views with “Climate justice is not about charity; it is about responsibility. It is about ensuring that every child, no matter where they are born, inherits a liveable planet.”
Lalla describes the role high-income countries (HICs) play in climate change: “Through decades of industrialisation and carbon-intensive development, [HICs] have been the primary contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. The carbon footprints of these nations have far outweighed those of developing and island nations combined.” The uninhabitable post-apocalyptic hellscape climate disaster distant future we fear is the present for the Philippines, which is buckling under the weight of a climate catastrophe it did not bring on. HICs continue to make promises they break. They preach to low-income countries on how they can do better at climate conferences and then leave in private jets. “The inequity runs deep,” Lalla says about this divide, “high-income nations continue to invest in fossil fuels, delay emissions targets, and provide inadequate climate financing to vulnerable nations struggling to rebuild.”
The consequences are daunting; the infrastructure and agriculture damage will lead to displacement, food insecurity, interrupted education and further hindered development. “The science is clear,” Lalla summarises, “and it demonstrates that urgent, meaningful action must be taken. Just days ago, Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica—displacing families and destroying livelihoods. Floods in Pakistan, fires in Canada, droughts in East Africa; these are not distant tragedies. We need clear, measurable goals that hold governments, companies, and individuals accountable. But more than that, we need solidarity, a willingness to work together, across borders and sectors, towards meaningful climate action.”
The blood of innocent people is on the hands of both the corrupt officials profiting off the typhoons and the HICs that turn a blind eye to their role in the climate catastrophe. With Typhoon Fung-wong ravaging through the Philippines, there is little hope for any substantial solution in the near future.
Photo by Carl Kho on Unsplash
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