Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilient Infrastructure Planning in the Philippines

The document identifies critical areas for conservation and restoration in the Philippines to protect populations and road networks from climate hazards. It proposes integrating NbS into the Infrastructure Flagship Program and other national development plans to mitigate economic losses and environmental degradation.

• Conservation of intact ecosystems covering 16% of the Philippines' total land area (4.6 million hectares) could support climate resilience for 43 million people and 42% of the road network (15,800 km). Most of these areas (75%) are located outside the Protected Area (PA) network.
• Ecosystems within a 15-25km buffer of roads and settlements, representing 19% of the country's land area (5.6 million hectares), are critical for the climate resilience of approximately 53 million people and 56% of the national road network.
• Restoring degraded forests on 13% of the country's land area would enhance climate resilience for 51 million people and protect 52% of the national road network, with only 7% of these priority areas currently inside Protected Areas.
• The Philippines faces severe climate risks, with over 60% of land area vulnerable to hazards such as floods, typhoons, droughts, and landslides, exposing over 74% of the population. Annual economic losses from floods, typhoons, and tropical storms range between 2% and 3% of GDP, potentially rising to 18% by 2070 under a high emission scenario.
• Road infrastructure has historically driven significant deforestation; between 1934 and 1988, 78% (2.1 Mha) of the 9.8 Mha of forest lost occurred within 1.5km of road development.
• The document recommends integrating NbS into the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development's (DEPDev) Infrastructure Flagship Program (IFP) by making ecosystem and biodiversity criteria a requirement for siting decisions and project selection.

APA

WWF International (2025). Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilient Infrastructure Planning in the Philippines. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/725/SIPA_PolicyBrief_PH_2025_new.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilient Infrastructure Planning in the Philippines. 2025. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/725/SIPA_PolicyBrief_PH_2025_new.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilient Infrastructure Planning in the Philippines |date=2025 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/725/SIPA_PolicyBrief_PH_2025_new.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2025naturebased, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilient Infrastructure Planning in the Philippines}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2025}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/725/SIPA_PolicyBrief_PH_2025_new.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }