How can data science help achieve climate justice?

The Philippines is among the most vulnerable countries to the adverse effects of climate change. Rising sea levels, intensifying heat, and stronger typhoons are a lived reality for many Filipinos. The impacts vary not just across countries but also among communities. Some groups such as those living below the poverty line are exposed to more risks than other groups. To assume that the negative impacts of climate change are the same for everyone risks leaving the most vulnerable behind. This calls for not just comprehensive solutions but also targeted ones. To get there, data science can step in.

Aerial view of the Malaiba Bridge along the national highway in Canlaon City shows thick mud and boulders deposited by floodwaters at the height of Typhoon Tino on Nov. 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Canlaon City PIO)

Our collective response to climate change must take into consideration its disproportionate impacts on different groups such as women, children, and indigenous peoples, among many others. This includes making sure that our responses are fair, inclusive, and rights-based. Moreover, our responses should be scientific and informed. A number of government and research institutions in the Philippines are already generating a lot of data siloed across various agencies such as the flood and landslide prone maps of Project NOAH and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau which can be used to craft targeted climate interventions. The opportunity lies in putting together all these sparse datasets and making sense out of them for various communities.

Flood hazard maps as featured on the NOAH website’s “NOAH Studio” section. © Project NOAH, University of Philippines Resilience Institute, Mapbox, Open Street Map

Data science is a growing interdisciplinary field which analyzes large amounts of data to come up with actionable insights for decision-makers. Data science techniques can help enrich the analyses of existing dataset by developing models that bring all of them together. For instance, we can use census data to analyze which localities have a high proportion of children and older persons and identify the most common housing materials there. We can then integrate this analysis into flood or landslide risk maps to identify potential risks for specific groups. We can design targeted and cost-efficient assistance should disasters hit using these insights. For instance, we can prepare specific elderly care packages for specific areas even before disasters hit because our analysis pinpoints their specific natural and human vulnerabilities. This approach ensures that communities are able to minimize the risks and hasten recovery.

Data can also play a key role in efficient and equitable resource allocation. As countries allocate more resources into climate finance, fair and equitable sharing is more urgent now than ever to make sure that it does not reinforce existing inequalities. Data science and models can help in identifying the current distribution of climate mitigation and adaptation funds and match them against other factors such as poverty, exposure to disasters, and presence of vulnerable groups. This helps in ensuring that resources go to those who need it the most. More importantly, using data can be a reliable accountability tool in tracking climate finance. Data can show us how these funds were actually spent and if the beneficiaries did receive them. Oversight bodies such as the Commission on Audit, civil society groups, and citizens can play a more effective role in monitoring resource allocation when they have data to back their claims. This approach ensures that climate finance is transparent, accountable, and responsive to the needs of various communities including vulnerable groups.

Tropical cyclones in the Philippines, 1948–2025: DOST-PAGASA visualizes decades of storm data for disaster preparedness.

A number of data-driven approaches are already in implementation. In the UK, the Climate Just web tool is a publicly-available portal that maps out specific vulnerabilities of certain groups to climate risks down to the local level. This tool allows local policymakers and members of the community to better plan for the negative impacts of climate change. In addition to the innovative use of data and technology, the platform helps equip communities to build resilience by identifying an area’s key vulnerabilities. Local policymakers such as mayors and chieftains in Global South countries such as the Philippines will greatly benefit from these kinds of tools in planning and allocating resources.

Data is a very rich resource that can be tapped to achieve climate justice. However, it is not a genie in a bottle that can easily grant all our wishes. These insights need to reach our policymakers and inform policies and programs that make an impact in the lives of our people. To get there, we need to invest in: generating high quality data, enhancing data skills of our climate advocates, and championing advocacies that exemplify the use of data in achieving climate justice. More specifically, we need the use of evidence to be embedded in local policymaking systems and mandate local governments to use data on vulnerabilities in crafting their climate plans. All this information should be made open and understandable to the communities through simple infographics. Because climate justice cannot be achieved by good intentions alone. The use of evidence, targeted interventions, and actual implementation will.