SITUATED along both the Pacific typhoon belt and the so-called Ring of Fire, the Philippines has a long history of dealing with the devastating impacts of typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other natural hazards. The country has the unfortunate distinction of being hit by an average of 21 tropical cyclones annually. Being an archipelago with long stretches of coastal areas makes the Philippines highly vulnerable to the impact of climate change as well.

The consequences have been devastating with thousands of lives lost over previous decades and economic losses in the hundreds of billions in terms of direct losses alone. But each disaster has also brought with it lessons on how to better prepare, avoid the loss of life, and reduce economic devastation and damage to infrastructure.