Strengthening the Community’s Coping Mechanisms with the Challenges of Climate Change Induced & Human-Aggravated Natural Disasters

Venue:             Drilon Hall, SEARCA

                          UPLB, Laguna, Philippines

Date:               October 14-16, 2009

 Rationale:

The Impacts of climate change are now being felt globally. Climate change brings about gradual changes, such as rise of sea level, shifts of climatic zones due to increased temperature, and changes in precipitation patterns.  It also increases the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and storms.  It is said that susceptibility is highest for the least developed countries because of limited human, institutional, and financial capacity to anticipate and respond to the effects of climate change.

The Philippines, as a developing country, is considered vulnerable to climate change. Studies show that provinces and regions that are most at risk to severe weather changes are noticeably areas with high poverty incidence. This problem is compounded by other socio-economic problems that further decrease the coping ability of these regions with the impacts of climate change. The effects of climate change and the vulnerabilities of poor communities pose great risk to food security, water resources, biodiversity conservation, natural resources management, coastal zone management and infrastructure.

Mainstreaming of the issues and problems of adaptation to climate change is essential. However, policy makers and project planners do not give priority to issues and problems related to climate change. This situation creates a need to integrate adaptation strategies in the decision-making processes and structures. By incorporating climate change adaptation approaches to policies and programs, appropriate management strategies can be employed.

In the past, the Philippine Federation for Environmental Concern (PFEC) had conducted three Regional Environmental Congresses in 2007 and 2008 which focused on Human-Aggravated Natural Disasters as experienced in the different regions of the country. The 15^th National Environmental Congress is the culmination of these three Regional Congresses which is drawn along the mission of increasing the coping mechanisms of affected communities with the impacts of climate change. It is designed to bring hazards management applications to community members in the country.

Objectives:

The National Environmental Congress 2009 seeks to provide a dynamic forum for the exchange of information, ideas and actual experiences/ initiatives to address climate change. The ultimate goal is to equip communities with knowledge and capability to adapt to and mitigate climate change-related and human-aggravated natural disasters.

Specifically, the conference aims to achieve the following objectives:

1.    To consolidate the outputs of the three regional environmental congresses held in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao;

2.    To document good practices addressing the problems of climate change and natural disasters;

3.    To mobilize actions at the regional level towards adaptation and mitigation; and

4.    To develop a program agenda on climate change.