Profiling and Mitigation Practices of Inhabitants in Disaster-Prone Communities: Inputs for Climate-Resiliency Strategies

Climate change is a global threat that requires significant attention. Addressing this issue effectively requires strong political intervention and decision-making by the government, which serves as the foundation for crafting policies that contribute to sustainable development. In addition, community engagement and profiling play an important role in promoting climate change resilience efforts. The impacts of climate change, such as the heightened intensity and frequency of tropical cyclones, increase the vulnerability and exposure of individuals to climate-related hazards. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the mapping of residents residing in a specific disaster-prone hotspot and their practices for mitigating the effects of climate change in coastal barangays within Tacloban City. Through purposive random sampling and descriptive statistics, the findings revealed that some respondents lacked awareness about the effects of climate change. Although this does not provide a comprehensive assessment of their knowledge on the subject, it suggests a potential lack of understanding about climate change. To address this problem, it is recommended to implement a comprehensive information and education campaign using the local language and easily accessible media platforms. Furthermore, given the substantial number of respondents who were relocating from their original areas to their original locations, solutions need to be devised to address issues related to water scarcity, transportation, and livelihood challenges. On a positive note, a high level of climate change adaptation and mitigation practices was observed among the respondents, with many demonstrating awareness of environmental protection ordinances and participating in and emphasizing the importance of disaster drills.