CCC: LGUs pledge to enhance their climate change action plans

March 15 ------ More local government units (LGUs) nationwide have pledged to enhance their local climate change actions plans (LCCAP). Climate Change Commission (CCC) Secretary Emmanuel De Guzman said on Tuesday that LCCAPs, an output expected from LGUs under the Climate Change Act 2009, have increased from 137 in 2015 to 1,267 in 2019. “The support of policy and decision makers at the highest level of the national government is critical in our pursuit of climate resilience and sustainable development for our communities,” De Guzman said at the week-long Communities for Resilience-Enhanced LCCAP training-workshop held in Cagayan de Oro City.

“Key to a climate-resilient Filipino nation is strengthening the cooperation between and among our national government agencies, LGUs, and the science and academic community on mainstreaming climate change adaptation and mitigation in local development and investment planning across the country,” he added.

Training

Representatives from the LGUs of Lanao del Norte, academic institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector participated in the event, which included lectures on climate change 101, climate and disaster risk assessment process, basic greenhouse gas inventory, climate change expenditure tagging, and a workshop on project proposal development for the People’s Survival Fund (PSF). The said training is in line with the mandate of the CCC to further mainstream climate change and capacitate the LGUs in enhancing their LCCAPs.

Other programs

Aside from the Communities for Resilience or CORE program, the CCC has also initiated programs which will help LGUs to enhance LCCAPs and develop PSF project proposals. Last year, CCC facilitated the formation of a nationwide network of multi-stakeholder consortiums to promote and sustain climate science education, research and knowledge-sharing, and policy advocacy, and to provide advisory and mentoring services to LGUs.

To date, CCC has already initiated the establishment of two consortiums, the Leyte and Northern Panay Climate Change Consortiums. The CCC also issued a resolution adopting a National Climate Risk Management Framework, which urges LGUs and national governments to undertake national and local risk assessments and formulate risk management strategies and interventions. De Guzman said enhanced LCCAPs are expected to further strengthen participatory local risk governance, enhance the resilience of rural livelihood, preserve the integrity of ecosystems, ensure the rich and resilient indigenous peoples’ culture, and strengthen early recovery planning.

“We need to work even smarter, and in unison with each other, to survive and thrive in this extremely challenging era of climate change. Now is the time to unite for climate action. Now is the time to unite for climate resilience,” he added.

Source: mb.com.ph