Philippines: Priority to climate change mitigation and adaptation measures
Climate change mitigation and adaptation measures are among the top five priority thrusts listed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)for 2009.
In the culminating program of Environment Month (June) celebration held last June 30 at the Bishop's House, DENR bared its priority thrusts and programs for the year. Aside from usual thrust of "Natural Resources Conservation" and environmental laws education and enforcement, the agency will be prioritizing climate change, poverty reduction/hunger mitigation" and "Socio Economic Development" in line with the national government programs.
For climate change, the DENR plans include the conduct of related priority research and development programs that could help address the issue, such as bio-fuel alternatives; undertaking of vulnerability assessment and carrying capacity studies of major eco-systems; implementation of programs that will improve air quality; promote recycling of agriculture and forest waste products through the manufacturing and propagation of charcoal briquettes; and to strictly implement the provisions of RA 9003 on Ecological Solid Waste Management.
The DENR is also embarking on two major projects that will help address climate change, with funding support of some EUR4,430,000 from the Republic of Germany through Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ).
The projects recently approved by DENR Secretary Lito Atienza and GTZ's Director and Principal Advisor Walter Salzer and Project Manager Dr. Uwe F. Scholz, are the "Adaptation to Climate Change and Conservation of the Biodiversity in the Philippines (ACCCBIO)" and the "Support Program for Solid Waste Management for LGUs (SWM4LGUs) Phase II".
In a statement, Atienza said, "Both projects are in line with the program of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to address the problem of global warming and climate change. We would like, therefore, to thank our benefactors and partners, the GTZ in particular, for these very significant agreements we have forged with them."
According to Atienza, the first project - ACCCBIO, is aimed at developing and implementing relevant adaptation strategies to compensate the effects of climate change and loss of biodiversity in selected areas in the country. The other project - SWM4LGUs Phase II, is a 3-year, second phase of a project intended to assist selected local government units in the effective and efficient implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. (PIA)