Albay Province, known for its A-grade disaster-preparedness portfolio, has been cited in a draft Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report as one of the areas where the “leading practices” of climate change adaptation is being practiced.
During the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda and previous storms, Albay Province proved that its provincial disaster prevention plans are effective and lifesaving.
“Local governments play an important role in adaptation because they directly communicate with affected communities. For the past several years, leading practices have begun in New York City, Mexico City, Toronto, Albay Province in the Philippines, and elsewhere,” the final draft of the “Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability” report said.
“These achievements were possible because of elected and local leadership; cooperation among national and local governments, private sectors, and communities; and the participation of boundary organizations, scientists and experts,” it added.
Preventing food scarcity
Among Albay Province’s efforts to adapt to climate change is the Albay Integrated Agricultural Rehabilitation Program (AIARP) that began after Typhoon Reming severely affected coastal areas and farming municipalities and towns located around the periphery of Mt. Mayon in 2006.
The program aims to “establish farm clusters to assist farmers and fisher folk in their agricultural needs, food assistance, technological needs, and training needs.”
It is meant to prevent a scarcity in agricultural commodities, accelerate food production, pump the province’s agricultural industry, and speed up the rehabilitation of upland agricultural areas in Albay.
Agriculture and food security are areas that may be severely affected by the global temperature increase.
“For the major crops (wheat, rice, and maize) in tropical and temperate regions, climate change without adaptation is projected to negatively impact production for local temperature increases of 2°C or more above late-20th-century levels, although individual locations may benefit (medium confidence),” the IPCC report said.
Other initiatives
The draft also mentioned that the Inter-Agency Committee on Climate Change (IACCC), a mechanism for institutional and stakeholder collaboration adopted by the Philippine government, used the Albay Declaration on Climate Change Adaptation as a framework.
Albay’s local government also made efforts to mainstream global warming concerns and encourage policy-making, including the establishment of the Center for Initiatives and Research on Climate Adaptation, a research and training institution created in collaboration with the Environment Management Bureau, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Bicol University and the University of the Philippines Los Baños.
Albay Governor Joey Salceda is the co-chair of the United Nations Green Climate Fund, the agency that handles the funds dedicated to climate change adaptation and mitigation to be given by developed countries to developing countries.
