Turning the Tide: Urgent Action to Address Climate-related Issues in Navotas | YACAP

Policy Brief by Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP)

Navotas City in the Philippines, particularly in the streets of Bagong Silang, faces severe climate-related challenges that threaten the safety, livelihoods, and well-being of its residents. Due to their proximity to the sea, the community is highly exposed to recurrent flooding and severe typhoons, risks that continue to escalate with the deepening climate crisis.

While the country has climate and environmental policies, their implementation often falls short at the community level. Significant gaps remain, particularly in coastal and urban poor communities that are most exposed to climate impacts yet least served by infrastructure, social protection, and effective climate adaptation measures. These vulnerabilities are further exacerbated by development projects that prioritise economic returns and overlook the lived realities of frontline communities.

To address the persistent gap between climate and disaster risk reduction policies and their on-ground implementation in Navotas, particularly in vulnerable coastal communities, YACAP has put together this policy brief for advocacy work with the local government. This brief was done through preliminary research and a comprehensive desk review of documented cases of climate impacts affecting the urban poor communities. The findings and recommendations were further enriched through community-based validation activities, including consultations and participatory workshops with the young people and other community members of Bagong Silang.