Question: How do volcanoes affect the social, economic and environmental status of the

Philippines?

An article in the New York Times in 1991 had some interesting ideas about how volcanic

eruptions affect climate change. Following some of today's newer articles, these articles have a

few things in common across contexts. These articles point out that volcanoes have the

potential to affect climate change. During the huge explosive eruption, large amounts of

volcanic gas, aerosol droplets and ash were injected into the stratosphere. The injected ash fell

rapidly from the stratosphere and most of it disappeared within a few days, with little impact

on climate change. Also, volcanic gases, including sulfur dioxide, can cause global cooling, but

volcanic carbon dioxide, which appears to be a greenhouse gas, can cause global warming.

Furthermore, the climactic eruption of Mount Pinatubo on June 15, 1991 was one of

the largest eruptions of the 20th century, injecting 20 million tons (metric scale) of sulfur

dioxide clouds into the stratosphere at an altitude of more than 20 miles. Since satellites began

such observations in 1978, the Pinatubo cloud is the largest sulfur dioxide cloud observed in the

stratosphere. It caused what is considered to be the largest aerosol disturbance in the 20th

century stratosphere, although it may be less than the 1883 disturbance at Krakatoa and

Tambora in 1815. As a result, it is outstanding in terms of climatic impact and has cooled the

surface of the land to 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit within three years of the volcano eruption.

All studies on global carbon dioxide emissions from volcanoes so far indicate that the

carbon dioxide released by today's undersea and seafloor volcanoes is less than one percent of

the carbon dioxide released by current human activities . Although it has been suggested that

the strong release of carbon dioxide by volcanoes in deep geology in the past has caused global

warming and may lead to some mass extinctions, this is the subject of current scientific debate.
 The Philippines recently experienced an eruption, namely the Taal volcano eruption. Its

eruption surprised volcano monitors at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology,

who noted the earthquake that began in March 2019, but did not predict the rapid

development of the eruption. Authorities have ordered the evacuation of approximately one

million people living near Manila. Residents were assisted by military vehicles. As of January 13,

25,000 of them were living in 200 temporary evacuation shelters established by federal

authorities. In addition, ash from the volcanic eruption reached Quezon City, north of Manila,

causing all flights to the international airport to be delayed.

On January 14, Defense Minister Delfín Lorenzana proposed to declare the island a "no

man's land" because it contains sulfur silt and may explode again. Between natural disasters,

climate change, environmental degradation and poverty, Filipinos face many deadly conditions.

Although historically people’s resilience is incredible, natural disasters like the Taal volcano

eruption can cause unimaginable suffering, such as the loss of inherited family homes. Despite

the recent decrease in activity, the alert level assigned by PHIVOLCS is 4, which indicates

another violent eruption.

So far, the sulfur dioxide released into the air by this explosion is not enough to

significantly affect the climate, but possible future eruptions may emit more sulfur dioxide.

Adding large amounts of sulfur dioxide to the atmosphere may cause a short-term global

cooling effect by reflecting solar radiation. For example, when another volcano in the

Philippines, Mount Pinatubo, erupted on June 15, 1991, about 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide

and volcanic ash were ejected up to 12 miles. Volcanic eruptions of this scale and scope can be

reduced by reducing the troposphere. Temperature, reducing the amount of solar radiation

hitting the earth’s surface and changing the circulation patterns in the atmosphere.

If Taal reaches a magnitude similar to Mount Pinatubo, the massive amount of gas and

ashes released will form sulfuric acid aerosols, which are submicron particles composed of
about 75% sulfuric acid, which can stay in the stratosphere for up to four years. These aerosol

clouds change the earth's radiation balance by absorbing radiation from the earth and diffusing

incident solar radiation. Generally speaking, large-scale eruptions will cause the troposphere to

cool and the stratosphere to warm.

In the end, the recent eruption of Taal Volcano had a traumatic impact on many people

living in nearby cities. Residents in this part of the Philippines still face the effects of pollution

and an unpredictable environment. Eruptions that may occur in the near future may change the

climate and cause the destruction of stratospheric ozone.

The volcanic eruption not only affects climate change, but also affects our economy.

According to NEDA, the Taal volcano eruption has so far had minimal economic impact because

the government has begun to lay the foundation for the restoration of the affected areas, a

senior official of the socio-economic planning agency said. The damage caused by Taal Volcano

(soil buried by volcanic ash, smoky) is likely to be long-term and will have a significant impact

on farmland, livestock (many animals died), drinking water and air quality. The volcanic

eruption is very destructive and has the ability to destroy the ecosystem. Lava destroys trees

and everything in its path, and volcanic mudflows can cause devastating floods in specific

locations. As a result of this action, all animals, including humans, will suffer serious health

consequences.

If our climate continues to change, due to volcanic disasters and other natural disasters,

our stock of major agricultural products will decrease, and once the emergency phase is over,

the support provided will rapidly decrease. This means that in the event of a prolonged crisis or

recovery work is necessary, resources may be scarce and external support may be limited

because the media and aid networks have focused their attention on other matters. As a result,

entire communities may find themselves in poor living conditions and often have limited

sources of income.
 In the case of a volcanic eruption, this problem can become particularly serious. The

duration and intensity of volcanic crises can vary greatly, and so can their impact. An important

additional factor is that in many cases, the volcano is surrounded by agricultural areas. In many

cases, supporting agriculture is not a government priority. Due to the greater economic

importance and higher population density of industry and urban areas, they have shown a

tendency to provide assistance to industry and urban areas.

However, the importance of agriculture should not be underestimated. Due to the low

competitiveness of locally produced products, the supply of cheap and intensive products has

caused a large number of countries to ignore the importance of their own agriculture.

Fluctuations in food and oil prices over the past two to three years have shown that no country

can afford more than a certain degree of dependence on imports if it wants to maintain

sustainable economic development.

For example, the Philippines used to be a net exporter of rice and is now a net importer.

Rice is now reportedly one of the top three imported products in the Philippines (FAO 2004).

Pinatubo around Mount Fuji used to produce large quantities of rice before the mountain

erupted. Pinatubo in 1991; 17 years later, production has not returned to its pre-eruption level

and farmers are working hard to increase production. Although late support is provided to

farmers, it does not appear to be sufficient to support replanting of high-yielding crops.

When businesses and industries are affected by disasters such as volcanic eruptions,

people cannot work and must depend on money and available food resources. Volcanic ash and

debris from damaged infrastructure can contaminate water supplies and shut down businesses,

factories, and water treatment plants. Volcanic mud and lava flows can destroy entire regions

and transmit their territorial value to the ground. However, in the long run, the affected areas

will be of great help to agriculture because the soil will be replanted with nutrients, the initial

construction space will be large, and the destroyed farmland will be a great disadvantage for
many Filipinos. . A person who works in agriculture as a farmer. These workers rely heavily on

the land and the space it provides to cultivate and raise livestock. When people’s houses are

destroyed, their belongings are also lost, including their money. This will reduce your

purchasing power. When the prices of food and other resources in the disaster-stricken areas

become more expensive over time, people who cannot go to other places are forced to make

ends meet with economic difficulties and increased incomes.

Bibliography

Climate and Global Change Center. (2020, January 24). Massive Eruption in the Philippines:

Devastating Consequences and Potential Climatic Impact. University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved

August 16, 2021, from https://www.climatecenter.pitt.edu/news/massive-eruption-philippines-

devastating-consequences-and-potential-climatic-impact

Gatpolintan, L. (2020, January 20). Taal Volcano eruption effect on economy still minimal: NEDA.

Philippine News Agency. Retrieved August 16, 2021, from

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1091423

Lebon, S. L.G. (2009, January). Volcanic activity and environment. Impacts on agriculture and

use of geological data to improve recovery processes, 2, 21, 31-40, 75, 81. Retrieved August,

2021, from https://skemman.is/bitstream/1946/3303/1/Sylviane_Lebon_fixed.pdf

Warming. The New York Times, Section 1 Page 1.

Novo, J. (2019, October 27). A Dive Into the Philippine's Risk to Volcanic Activity. Volcanic

Eruptions in the Philippines. Retrieved August 16, 2021, from

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a07a68d9c95d4fcdb163b4d18104bac7

Ramirez, R. (2020, January 17). The Philippines volcanic eruption is harming public health, but

not the climate — yet. Grist. Retrieved August 16, 2021, from https://grist.org/climate/the-

philippines-volcanic-eruption-is-harming-public-health-but-not-the-climate-yet/

Relief Web. (2020, Feb 3). Volcano eruption: Humanity & Inclusion assesses the needs of those

affected. reliefweb. Retrieved August 16, 2021, from

https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/volcano-eruption-humanity-inclusion-assesses-needs-

those-affected

USGS. (n.d.). Volcanoes Can Affect Climate. Volcano Hazards Program. Retrieved August 16,

2021, from https://www.usgs.gov/natural-hazards/volcano-hazards/volcanoes-can-affect-

climate

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