A CLIMATE change conference titled "Climate Resilience and Green Growth in Mindanao: Road Map to Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Development" in Davao City unfolds Tuesday to Wednesday this week at the Grand Regal Hotel.
The conference is held by a consortium of the Philippine-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, Asian Development Bank, Climate Change Commission, Mindanao Development Authority, and the United Nations Environment Programme.
Also under the ADB-funded project TA-8493 PHI: Climate Resilience and Green Growth in Critical Watersheds (46441-001), the conference is implemented by the CCC and commissioned to a consortium composed of SEARCA as lead organization, CTI Engineering Japan, Woodfields Consultants Inc., and ERGONS Project Management.
"The conference will tackle burning issues and impact of climate change in Mindanao in various sectors, namely: agriculture, water, coastal and marine, forestry, energy, transportation, and public infrastructure," CCC Commissioner Noel V. Gaerlan said.
Specifically, the upcoming conference aims to reflect on the Mindanao 2030 vision in the context of climate change adaptation or CCA and disaster risk reduction or DRR preparedness for a climate resilience and green growth options in Mindanao.
It will present the climate change and DRR assessment tools and approaches of both ADB TA 8111 and TA 8493 and other project initiatives to determine possible synergisms and connectivity towards developing a model of CCA mainstreaming in local development planning.
It also explores an indicative sectoral climate resilient investment and green growth road map for Mindanao; and identify areas of possible inter-institutional collaboration and partnership towards assisting local governments, the business sector, small producers and other resource user groups for climate resilience and green growth options in Mindanao as emerging new strategic destination for urban expansion, trade, and commerce in the country.
Dr. Lope B. Santos III, SEARCA program specialist, said the two-day conference will bring together varied ideas, experiences and proposals from different stakeholders covering 50 agencies and institutions including provincial, city, municipal and national government agencies, private sector, academe and non-governmental and people's organizations.
He said the overall aim of the conference is to learn from the previous and ongoing projects of donor organizations and other institutions that are related to CCA and mitigation, urban resiliency and green growth measures in critical watersheds.
"With these, the conference will attempt to set the road map for Mindanao towards becoming a green, clean and economically progressing center in the country," Santos said.
SEARCA has been assisting national agencies, including CCC, the Department of Agriculture and its attached agencies, and the Department of Education, among others, in implementing capacity building and research projects that are aligned with its priority focus on inclusive and sustainable agricultural and rural development.
"It is high time that all stakeholders come together to seriously address the threat of climate change as it severely affects the social and economic development of the country due to losses and damages during extreme weather events," Dr. Srinivasan Ancha, ADB's Principal Climate Change Specialist, said.
MinDA also noted that there are so many initiatives in Mindanao tackling climate change adaptation and mitigation and it is timely that the conference can bring together major actors to harmonize policies and directions and converge to focused programs and projects on climate resilience and green growth that will benefit the whole of Mindanao.
Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit Jr., SEARCA Director, will deliver the welcome remarks and Dr. Candido A. Cabrido Jr., TA-8493 Team Leader and National Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Specialist, will present the Road Map for Climate Resilience and Green Growth in Davao Oriental.
