Philippines: Fish Right Activity - Climate Risk Management Case Study

The USAID Fish Right Activity1 (March 2018 – 2025) improves marine biodiversity and fisheries management in the Philippines by reducing overfishing, destructive and illegal fishing, and degradation of marine ecosystems. Fish Right strengthens the capacity of local governments, non-governmental organizations, fisherfolk, and fishing communities to better manage coastal resources and build resilience to climate change in key sites across the country.

Climate stressors in the Philippines—including rising sea temperatures, sea-level rise, and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events—and associated ocean acidification, all pose an existential threat to fisheries and fishing communities. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda, revealed the vulnerabilities of these communities, many of which were nearly destroyed by the storm. Understanding these risks, USAID and the Fish Right team incorporated climate impacts into activity design and implementation, strengthening the long-term sustainability of activity interventions.

This case study describes Fish Right’s climate risk management (CRM) actions in thePhilippines during its first three years of implementation, with a focus on quantifying and, where possible, monetizing benefits from interventions.