(BusinessWorld) The Philippines’ National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) agreed to the findings of a 2020 study funded by the German development organization GIZ that the Philippines needs to address the problem of internal migration, including in relation to the “slow-onset” impacts of climate change.

The study, conducted by the United Nations University and the Ateneo de Manila University, found that slow-onset effects of climate change, which occur over a longer period of time than sudden-onset effects such as strong typhoons, are degrading people’s livelihood and may drive them to migrate internally or to other areas in the country to look for other sources of income.

For example, the study pointed out that farming productivity is slowly declining in some areas in the country due to changes in weather patterns.

One research participant from Maypangdan, Borongan, Eastern Samar province said they “used to be able to expect the arrival of the northeast ‘amihan’ monsoon and the southwest ‘habagat’ monsoon in certain months, but they no longer follow their usual patterns.”

As such, she said it is harder for her and the other farmers in their area “to know when the harvest will be, especially those that do not have access to irrigation systems.”

“Some would plant their seeds expecting rains in December but only to witness sunny days…. Events like these make sustaining livelihoods very difficult,” she added.

Another respondent from Sulop, Davao del Sur province said the people in their area now harvest only once a year from four times a year in the past as “the high temperature leads to crop failure.”