Day 13 – SDG 13: Climate Action

Before the sun rises, they are already awake. For a farmer, the day begins with soil beneath his feet and the hope of a good harvest. For a fisherfolk, it begins at the shore, carrying a worn fishing net and preparing the small boat that has fed his family for years. But when the climate changes, their lives change with it. Instead of waiting for harvest season, they find themselves starting over—again and again.

For days, rain pours across Luzon, flooding fields and destroying crops. In Mindanao, the sun burns relentlessly, drying the soil and threatening the harvest. The seasons they once knew are becoming harder to predict. But who is affected first?

It is the people behind every meal we eat. The farmers who grow our food. The fisherfolk who bring food from the sea. The families whose entire way of life depends on nature cooperating with them. Because not everyone has the same roof, the same resources, or the same chance to recover.

Climate change is not just about rising temperatures.It is about lives, livelihoods, and the people who feed us. And if we want a future where no one is left behind, climate action cannot wait.The World Meteorological Organization confirmed that 2024 was the hottest year on record at 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels, capping 11 consecutive record-breaking years. Despite a temporary La Niña cooling, 2025 still ranked as the second or third warmest year at around 1.43°C above pre-industrial levels.

Scientists have confirmed a new El Niño began in June 2026, potentially among the strongest ever recorded, increasing the risk of drought, heavy rainfall, and heatwaves across the world. Every year from 2026 to 2030 is projected to be 1.3°C to 1.9°C above pre-industrial levels.

In the Philippines, the impacts are devastating. In 2026 alone, successive typhoons and the southwest monsoon caused ₱11.69 billion in damage to infrastructure and agriculture, affecting 89,770 farmers and fisherfolk and damaging 79,152 hectares of farmland. About 96% of the total costs of loss and damage were borne by farmers and fisherfolk, with the crop sector incurring 90% of the damage.

Without climate action, disasters multiply. Without adaptation, communities collapse. With urgent action, futures can be protected. Reducing emissions, building resilience, and financing climate solutions are not optional, they are survival. At Colegio de Kidapawan, SDG 13 calls us to act—not tomorrow, but today. Every degree matters. Every choice matters. Every voice matters.