CORRUPTION which has derailed almost every major infrastructure project in the Philippines and held back development efforts is also detrimental to climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, the Philippine Star notes in an editorial Thursday. Quoting a report released last week by the Transparency International, the global watchdog against corruption, the newspaper said the Philippines was listed among several countries most vulnerable to climate change, particularly its visible effects — drought, typhoons, rising sea levels and flooding. At the same time, the Philippines rated poorly in Transparency's latest Corruption Perceptions Index, garnering a dismal score of 2.4 in terms of corruption risk on a scale of 0 to 10, with zero being the worst. Government effectiveness, meanwhile, was rated a middling 55.0. Excerpts from the editorial: Last week the World Bank had lauded Philippine efforts to address climate change, with its special envoy on the issue saying the country could even serve as a global model for best practices particularly in climate change mitigation. The bank has approved zero-interest funding for certain climate change-related initiatives, with additional financing being considered for other projects. But while the laws and policies are in place, the culprit is in the implementation. This is where corrupt and inefficient governance can derail the best intentions. Corruption could be a problem especially if climate change initiatives involve large amounts of funds. Southeast Asian countries most vulnerable to climate change allocate an average of two to three percent of gross domestic product for disaster preparedness. Transparency International said five to six percent of GDP is needed for effective response. TI also noted that the novelty and complexity of carbon markets opened opportunities for fraud. __
