RP not ready for climate change – summit

MANILA, Philippines – Are we prepared for climate change?

No, according to the consensus arrived at yesterday during the opening of a two-day Government-Civil Society Organization La Niña Summit at the BSWM Conference Hall of the Department of Agriculture.

The summit was called to draw up measurable targets and goals and identify possible sources of funds.

In a press conference yesterday, it was made clear that funding is a primary concern in terms of information dissemination on how to mitigate climate change and deal with the erratic weather phenomenons, specifically the La Nina weather pattern at this time of the year.

Climate Change Commission (CCC) vice chairman and executive director of the Climate Change Office Heherson Alvarez said are merely relying on bilaterals and multilaterals for financing of climate change initiatives.

Alvarez is pinning his hopes on the country being able to tap even a miniscule portion of a still being worked out $100-billion to $600-billion global fund for climate change.

Even the focal agency – the National Disaster Coordinating Council – renamed the National Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Council, has a budget of only P1 billion to provide relief during disasters.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, who delivered President Aquino’s keynote address, suggested a P100 billion trust fund to be put up by the government which would be released only in the event of a disaster.

Non-government organizations and civil society groups, pointed out that community-based organizations are able to put together the necessary tools such as boats with minimal funds, but are in need of assistance from the Government in terms of capacity-building.

Scientists who participated in the summit stressed the need to take a wholistic approach in conserving resources such as forest and mangroves and adopting best practices in agriculture, mining and forestry to mitigate the effects of extreme weather conditions, particularly heavy rainfall and flooding.

Based on figures of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), in the current La Nina weather pattern, at least 66 provinces are vulnerable to flooding with some 470,000 farmer-beneficiaries planting rice and corn at risk. –Marianne V. Go (The Philippine Star)