Climate change may reduce agricultural output in the country, the World Bank said Wednesday.

In its climate change and development report for the Philippines, the World Bank said production of rice and sugar cane may decline by five percent, while output of maize could go down up to 20 percent.

“Lower agricultural production will affect the well-being of the farmers, many of whom are poor. And because this will lead to higher food prices, it will affect the well-being of all Filipinos, and especially the poor who spend a great part of their income on food,” said Benoit Bosquet, regional director for sustainable development at the World Bank.

The consumption of the poorest households may go down by almost nine percent, he added.

The World Bank said sectors that would be hardest hit by climate change are water, agriculture, energy, transport and urban.

Bosquet said the country should prioritize reducing the risk and damage from extreme events or addressing slow on-set events like temperature rise or sea rise, to reduce the effects of climate change.

While the Philippines is one of the lowest carbon emitters in Asia, it could fulfill its commitment to the Paris Agreement better if it boosted its solar and wind power production, Bosquet said.

According to Bosquet, poverty and economic insecurity would decline faster in the decarbonization scenario since green energy would lower the cost of electricity and the cost of damage from pollution. Jaspearl Tan/DMS