DENR to develop climate change resilient communities

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is developing eight municipalities into climate change resilient communities using a $4.97-million grant from the World Bank.  DENR was provided the grant under the Global Environment Fund of the World Bank to develop communities resilient to the effects of climate change in the agricultural and forested areas in the country.

Chosen as pilot sites for phase I of the Philippines Climate Change Adaptation Project are the towns of Peñablanca and Tuguegarao City in Cagayan province; Janiuay, Pototan, and Dumangas in Iloilo; and General Luna, Del Carmen and Dapa in Surigao del Norte.  “The project supports the government’s efforts to protect the lowland and upland communities from the cumulative effects of climate change,” said Environment Secretary Ramon Paje.

He said the project would introduce a crop production system that can withstand the effects of climate change. It would also give attention to biodiversity protection in forests.

“This project is consistent with the goals of the administration’s priorities on poverty reduction and sustainable development, given that the most vulnerable sector of the country’s population rely on agriculture and natural resources for their livelihoods,” Paje said.

The project will strengthen the resilience of communities against climate change by making irrigation infrastructure resilient to the effects of climate change, improving the management of protected areas, and improving access to scientific data. –Michael Punongbayan (philstar.com)