P152 billion sought for climate change adaptation

MANILA, Philippines — The government is seeking a higher budget of P152 billion next year to roll out convergence programs on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

The Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR), chaired by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), said the government has allotted P152.35 billion for the government’s Risk Resiliency Program under the 2021 budget.

The proposed budget is 30 percent higher than the P117 billion allocation this year due to the alignment of programs and activities to the priority policies, strategies and projects of the Interagency Task Force Technical Working Group on Anticipatory and Forward Plan for the new normal.

Environment Undersecretary Analiza Teh said the proposed funding would be used to build resilient and sustainable communities as the country continues to deal with the pandemic.

“The country needs programs that will strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacities of its communities, especially in climate-vulnerable provinces and major urban centers,” Teh said.

The RRP aims to increase the adaptive capacities of vulnerable communities, ensure the adequate supply of clean air, water, and other natural resources, increase the resilience of critical infrastructures, and enhance knowledge, access to information and institutional capacities of communities.

For 2021, the RRP will prioritize 14 climate-vulnerable provinces, which vary in risk factors of rise in sea levels, extreme rainfall and heating events, increased ocean temperature and disturbed natural resources supply.

The provinces are Masbate, Sorsogon, Negros Oriental, Western Samar, Eastern Samar, Sarangani, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Southern Leyte, Zamboanga del Norte, Bukidnon, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.

The program also covers four major urban centers – Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Iloilo and Metro Davao.

The DENR said earlier that addressing climate change remains a top priority for the government even if it is currently preoccupied with controlling the spread of COVID-19.

“The government—through the Cabinet Cluster on CCAM-DRR—will prioritize actions and investments that will reduce the long term health impacts and increase our resilience and adaptive capacity to both the coronavirus pandemic and climate change,” the DENR said.