Thursday, July 28, 2016

MOU for Climate Change CORE partnership signed

TAGBILARAN CITY, July 27 (PIA)--With the climate crisis that the world is into, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) of the Philippines signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Climate Reality Project (CRP) for a partnership in the implementation of programs that promote and possibly reinforce resilience in communities. 

At the side event during the CCC press conference timed with its bringing the flagship-capacity building program on climate change to some 27 local government units under the Wahig-Inabanga Upper River Basin, no less than CCC Vice Chair Secretary Emmanuel de Guzman and CRP country manager Rodne Galicha signed the agreements of partnership representing their respective offices. 

Earlier, under the Climate Change Act, local governments must be able to put up their own Local Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP). 
This is a crucial plan in providing communities their own strategic directions towards addressing climate change in the country by providing for the plans in their respective communities, explained Secretary de Guzman. 

These plans, to be called Local Climate Change Action Plan form the framework of the community's adaptation strategies to increase resilience of vulnerable sectors and of the natural ecosystems to climate change and to maximize mitigation opportunities, de Guzman explained during the presscon. 

Mandates under the Climate Change Act, the LCCAP however had been far from complied by local government units.

Of the 1710 LGUs in the country, only about 16o LGUs have plans, shares de Guzman, during an informal gathering with the media, July 27 at the Bee Farm. 

Asked how this is possible, Secretary de Guzman said "we learned some LGUS do not know how to prepare for one. Besides, LGUS would need risk profiles, without this, how could they plan?, he asked. 

On the other hand, some LGUS do not have the technical skills to do it, Sec. de Guzman added. 

The CCC sees that its flagship-capacity-building program on climate change program in the Communities for Resilience (CORE) needs exactly the kind of partnership that allows them to roll out the capacities to communities as fast as they can, to finally claim communities have already plans of adaptation and mitigation.

The MOU allows CRP to implement the CORE in building and enhancing climate change and disaster risk resilience of communities and ecosystems through trainings on capacity development and sustainable development planning.

CCC is here in Bohol to roll-out its CORE Convergence forum to the 17 Local Government Units sharing the Wahig-Inabanga Upper River Basin, which is reportedly the largest and the most important river in Central Visayas. 

So huge a catchment that a heavy rain in the area can immediately cause possible landslides, flooding and droughts can be just as disastrous. 

The CCC has also identified Wahig Inabanga Upper River Basin as one of the areas in the country with a high risk to climate change impacts. 

The idea is to help communities here build their resilience according to the local vulnerabilities and shield them from any more disaster risks, Sec de Leon said. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)

No comments:

Visitors