Adaptation of community and households to climate - related disaster : the case of storm surge and flooding experience in Ormoc and Cabalian Bay, Philippines

Abstract

The study examines disaster response to Typhoon Uring in Ormoc City in Leyte, Philippines (1991). Vulnerability regression estimates for flooding showed that households’ vulnerability to flooding increased with house size and decreased with access to grant and credit facilities. Results also suggest that households with higher educational attainment and annual income tended to be less vulnerable to the risks from storm surge/sea level rise. Many households did not understand that sea level rise is a permanent or irreversible process. Similarly, local governments’ efforts appear to have concentrated on disaster relief rather than on long-term strategic planning and pro-active measures