‘A culture of resilience’: Filipino scientist champions disaster preparedness amid climate change

Alfredo Mahar Francisco A. Lagmay, a Filipino scientist and scholar at the University of the Philippines (UP), spoke about how flood maps, real-time hazard monitoring and government implementation can lower death tolls during disasters in the Philippines during a Tuesday talk. The event was held in the Philippines Conference Room in Encina Hall. Lagmay is a recipient of the European Geosciences Union Plinius Medal. The 2026 World Risk Report ranks the Philippines as the most disaster-prone country in the world, due to its geographical location on the Ring of Fire. The Philippines is struck by an average of 20 tropical cyclones a year. Lagmay also listed floods, earthquakes, landslides and tsunamis as common disasters that the country faces. “For a very long time, we have been struggling to improve the efforts that we do with respect to disaster risk reduction against natural hazard impacts,” Lagmay said.

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