ICLEI SEAS, EVI team up to develop PH Climate Change Mitigation Framework Strategy
Selected national government agencies and development partners convened for a one-day kick-off meeting and workshop regarding the development of the Philippines’ National Climate Change Mitigation Framework Strategy (NCCMFS).
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability-Southeast Asia Secretariat (ICLEI SEAS) and the Emergent Ventures International Pte. Ltd. (EVI) facilitated the conduct of two consultation workshops for the development of the Philippines' National Climate Change Mitigation Framework Strategy (NCCMFS). The first workshop was held last September 2 while the second was conducted last November 29.
The proposed NCCMFS is the result of long national processes to develop a comprehensive set of mitigation strategies to face climate change impacts and to transition toward a competitive, sustainable, and cleaner development path. Under the proposed NCCMFS, six sectors are covered including agriculture, waste, industry, transportation, forestry, and energy sectors collectively known as AWIT-FE.
The NCCMFS aims to provide a clear direction or strategy for the development, implementation and management of climate change mitigation actions in the country in an efficient, cost-effective and consistent manner. In addition, the NCCMFS would provide quantified national and sectoral visions on climate change mitigation with long-term goals as well as a clear set of strategic directions including measurable outcome, targeted output, and timeframe.
Both workshops were conducted to level-off expectations with stakeholders which included relevant national governments and development partners regarding the overarching mitigation framework. The first workshop, which also served as a kick-off meeting focused on three sectors including industry, forestry, and waste. On the other hand, energy, transport, and agriculture sectors were covered during the second workshop.
Apart from the CCC, the following NGAs participated in the consultation: Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), Forest Management Bureau (FMB), Land Transportation Office (LTO), National Electrification Administration (NEA), National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
Selected development partners also attended the first workshop including the Philippine Business for the Environment (PBE), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Building Low Emission Alternatives to Develop Economic Resilience and Sustainability (B-LEADERS) Project, and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat).
During both events, Ms. Sandee Recabar of the Climate Change Commission (CCC) emphasized the need to develop a coherent framework strategy that will provide direction to the implementation of mitigation activities in the country. She also noted that there are already a number of mitigation studies in the Philippines and that the NCCMFS will serve as an umbrella document for all these completed studies.
Mr. Marvin Lagonera, ICLEI SEAS Project Officer, presented the NCCMFS initial outcome document. This included, among others, an environmental scoping of national and sectoral policies, plans, and programs; formulation and assessment of guiding principles and principal criteria; and results of visioning and strategy-setting activity leading to the formulation of national and sector-specific vision statements, mitigation goals, and objectives.
Participants' inputs were solicited with particular emphasis on the framework's guiding principles and criteria for development. During the sectoral consultation, participants were divided into break-out groups which looked at national and sectoral visions, strategies and goals, as well as screening and review of mitigation options.
The contract for the development of the NCCMFS and Mitigation Goal was awarded to EVI by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines last April 2016 as part of the Low Emission Capacity Building Philippines (LECB PHL) project, implemented by the CCC. EVI partnered with ICLEI SEAS for this undertaking. EVI is a leading consultancy firm in the area of climate change, renewable energy, waste management and sustainability headquartered in India.
ICLEI SEAS conducts climate change workshop in Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur
Mayor Mark Pacalioga of the Municipality of Dumingag (center) joined by ICLEI SEAS and several workshop participants
Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur - ICLEI SEAS conducted a Climate Change Workshop for the local government unit of the municipality of Dumingag and a back-to-back Teachers’ Training on Educating the Youth on Climate Change last 21st to 22nd September 2016 . The three-day workshop, held in partnership with the local government of Dumingag, was attended by a total of 160 participants consisting of executive committee officials; barangay officials; representatives from the environment, agriculture and health departments; civil society organizations (CSOs); and the academe.
The workshop proves relevant and timely to the needs of the municipality as it aimed to provide a deeper understanding to the key stakeholders and decision makers on climate change, basic scientific concepts, their vulnerabilities to the impacts of climate change, as well as international and national policies. It also equipped the participants on conducting vulnerability assessment through a workshop using the Asian Cities Climate Change Network (ACCCRN) process. The participants were guided on the identification of perceived climate impacts to the following priority urban systems – agriculture, water, infrastructure, education, and health. The identified climate risks were then prioritized according to their corresponding likelihood of occurrence and consequence. This was followed by an actors analysis wherein each key and relevant stakeholder group was assessed on their capacity to organize and respond, availability of resources, and access to information.
The participants were then asked to identify potential climate resilience interventions and how these can be integrated into existing municipal plans. These interventions were further assessed on its feasibility (technical, political, cost) and impact (short-, medium-, and long-term). Among the interventions identified for the four priority urban systems include the following: (1) scheduling of planting crops considering observed changes in local climate; (2) acquisition of additional agricultural machineries (e.g. harvester, corn miller) for every barangay to increase productivity; (3) seek financial support for solar dryer construction; (4) strengthening and capacitating farmers’ cooperatives and community health workers; (5) school-based gardening of resilient crops; (6) integrating DRR in academic curriculum; (7) implement the shift in academic calendar to avoid typhoons; (8) strengthen advocacy on environmental health and sanitation; and (9) use of solar energy to augment electricity needs.
This exercise can serve as a guide in the formulation of the municipality’s Local Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP), one of the pre-requisite documents of local government units (LGUs) in the Philippines to be able to access the People’s Survival Fund (PSF), a special fund in the National Treasury that will augment the finance needed for climate change adaptation programs and projects of LGUs.
In terms of climate mitigation, ICLEI also led an initial activity data assessment using a template devised to address the data requirements of the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GPC). This exercise can serve as a guide for the LGU in conducting its GHG inventory.
A back-to-back teachers’ training on educating the youth on climate change followed on the 23rd of September 2016. A total of 69 elementary, high school and college teachers from the municipality actively participated in the training.
The training assisted the participants in developing participatory teaching approaches and methods to actively involve students and provided them with necessary skills to contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation (CCAM) and DRR actions within their school and community. During the workshop, the teachers identified entry points for climate change education in their existing curriculum and activities. Several of the examples cited include the following: use of climate concepts in math and word problems as well as in public speaking exercises (e.g. debates, extemporaneous speaking); promotion and use of organic farming in the subject, Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP); tree planting during Girl and Boy Scout camps; and clean up drives.
A Teachers’ Handbook on Climate Change was distributed to the participants and the LGU. This handbook is designed to reinforce the knowledge of teachers on climate change, their capacity in organizing schools-based environmental education programs and activities related to climate change and enrich understanding of students on the imminent threats posed by climate change. It also provides a framework for the delivery of the lesson on the basic concepts of climate change, This material can also be used by trainers who will take opportunity in facilitating climate change education to the youth and their local community.
The UNESCO highlights the immense role of teachers in pushing forth climate change education and influencing the youth to take a proactive role towards addressing climate change.In the Philippines, several policies have been passed to reinforce the need for integrating climate change into the school curricula. These policies include the Climate Change Act of 2009 (RA 9729), the National Environment Awareness and Education Act of 2008 (RA 9512), and Department Order No. 55 of 2007 that mandates the integration of disaster risk reduction (DRR) in both structural and non-structural components of the school system.
Dumingag, an ICLEI member since 2013, is a second class municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Sur. Relying heavily on agriculture, the residents’ main source of livelihood remains vulnerable to impacts of climate change which threaten their main goal of alleviating poverty as guided by their Genuine People’s Agenda. The local government has already undertaken several measures to adapt to these experienced impacts of climate change such as intensifying organic agriculture; conducting biodiversity restoration program and lowland reforestation with native trees; issuing policies to address illegal logging and kaingin.
ICLEI SEAS participates in high-level seminar on water and climate change
From left to right: Mr. Ranell Martin Dedicatoria (ICLEI SEAS) joins Mr. Bruno Nguyen (International Hydrological Programme) and Mr. François Prévot (ARCEAU-IdF, Université Paris Diderot) during the opening session of the WaterLinks Forum 2016.
MAKATI CITY – ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability Southeast Asia Secretariat (ICLEI SEAS) joined the High-Level Seminar on Megacities Alliance for Water under Climate Change last October 5. The seminar was organized as part of the WaterLinks Forum 2016: Building Climate-resilient Water Utilities in Urban Asia.
ICLEI SEAS, represented by its Program Manager, Mr. Ranell Martin Dedicatoria joined the seminar's opening session along with Mr. Bruno Nguyen of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Mr. François Prévot of ARCEAU-IdF, Université Paris Diderot (UPD). ARCEAU-IdF is an alliance of water stakeholders from the Paris Region.
Last December 2015, the three organizations launched the Megacities Alliance for Water under Climate Change recognizing that "climate change is water change; water is a key resource for the sustainable development of megacities and a key factor of their resilience."
During the seminar, Mr. Dedicatoria shared that water and climate change issues are highly embedded in ICLEI's programs which follows a 10-point agenda. Specifically, he noted that apart from urban resilience, water is also heavily linked to ICLEI's resource-efficiency agenda by examining the water-food-energy nexus and how integrated resource management is operationalized at the local level.
Initially, the Alliance focuses on supporting megacities. It intends to set up a cooperation platform, within two years, to facilitate a dialogue on water, with the aim of helping megacities adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. ICLEI will support the Alliance by bringing in its international networks of local governments. Furthermore, ICLEI will ensure the initiative's inclusion in existing reporting platforms such as the carbonn Climate Registry (cCR), a global reporting platform for local and subnational governments on climate action; and the online Solutions Gateway for local governments.
Source: ICLEI SEAS
