warming to the greatest extent possible and achieving the target of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels should… be the objective of all climate action.”76 But as discussed in Section III of this joint summary amicus brief, even the 1.5°C target may be too high to avoid serious adverse effects on health. Pacific island nations are particularly vulnerable to these types of health impacts. This is due in large part to the tropical climate, which means that these countries experience greater risks from more severe tropical cyclones, more intense monsoons, expanding disease vectors, and heat waves. Indeed, there have already been observed increases in the frequency of severe typhoons, flooding events, and heat waves in the Philippines. 77 Another key concern in the Philippines is malnutrition due to disruptions in food supply caused by rising temperatures, drought, and extreme weather events.78 There is evidence that climate change has contributed to severe droughts in the Philippines over the past three decades, which have in turn contributed to increases in food scarcity as well as rural unrest and mass migration and the corresponding impacts on public health.79 III. Right to Clean Water and Sanitation The UN General Assembly has recognized that all persons have a “right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights.”80 Climate change will seriously affect the availability of freshwater through reductions in precipitation and snowpack; increased evapotranspiration resulting from higher temperatures; sea level rise, which will contribute to saltwater intrusion into freshwater aquifers; and more intense storms, rainfall, and flooding, which can lead to contamination of freshwater sources. Freshwater scarcity, flooding, and sea level rise can also adversely affect sanitation systems (e.g., when wastewater treatment plants flood or when sufficient water is not available for hygienic needs). The higher incidence of drought is a major concern for the Philippines. Previous droughts have caused massive crop failures and water shortages. 81 In April 2016, it was reported that 42% of the country was experiencing drought or dry spells and 39 provinces, cities, municipalities, and villages had declared a state of emergency as a result. 82 As noted above, scientists have linked climate change to changes in the hydrological cycle, increased evapotranspiration, and exacerbated droughts in the Philippines and elsewhere. Going forward, the Philippines and many 76 Id. at ¶ 55. Xerxes T. Seposo et al., Evaluating the Effects of Temperature on Mortality in Manila City (Philippines) from 2006-2010 Using a Distributed Lag Nonlinear Model, 12(6) INT’L J. ENVIRON. RES. PUBLIC HEALTH 6842 (2015); de la Cruz (2014), supra note 70. 78 PHILIPPINES ATMOSPHERIC, GEOPHYSICAL, AND ASTRONOMICAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PHILIPPINES, 51 (2011) [hereinafter PAGASA]. 79 JAMES WARREN, CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE IMPACT OF DROUGHT ON HUMAN AFFAIRS AND HUMAN HISTORY IN THE PHILIPPINES, 1582 TO 2009 (2013), https://www.murdoch.edu.au/Research-capabilities/Asia-ResearchCentre/_document/Warren-drought-paper--final-version-copy-3-3.pdf. 80 G.A. Res. 64/292, The Human Right to Water and Sanitation, ¶ 1 (July 29, 2010). 81 WORLD BANK, GETTING A GRIP ON CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PHILIPPINES, 12 (2013). 82 INT’L FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES (IFRC), PHILIPPINES: DROUGHT AND DRY SPELLS, INFORMATION BULLETIN NO. 1 (Apr. 29, 2016) [hereinafter IFRC]. 77 24