SIBAT Conducts Climate Change Multi-stakeholders Cooperation and Vulnerability Assessments

Last year, SIBAT conducted two crucial activities supportive of instituting and strengthening climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in its current programs and projects. The first was a multistakeholders cooperation on climate change and rural development made possible through a one-year project grant award from the "Panibagong Paraan 2008" competition, a World Bank-sponsored event featuring a development market place of innovative ideas for rural development. The grant award was funded by the UK Embassy.

SIBAT's winning entry was "NGO-PO-GO Collaboration on Climate Change and Rural development". It is aimed at forging cooperation among stakeholders especially in Central Visayas through building up the capacities of partners in conducting vulnerability research, development of local policies, creating greater awareness of climate change issues and come up with recommendations for planning adaptation and mitigation measures.

The second activity was a multistakeholders conference where the results of the vulnerability study and recommendations for future actions. This was attended by agencies working on climate change issues were presented. The Philippine Weather Bureau (PAGASA) provided the technical backdrop of the climate change conditions in Central Visayas while the people's organizations and government agencies agreed to implement sustainable agriculture as main adaptation component.

With the success of the Central Visayas experience, SIBAT is currently replicating the conduct of vulnerability assessment in South Cotabato and Saranggani considered as two vulnerable areas in Mindanao. This will be from July 2009 up to July of next year. The activity was directed towards further development of plans that would protect the remaining biodiversity resources that abound in the upland ecosystems from the adverse impacts of climate change.