Grassroots advocates needed to cope with extreme weather

MANILA, Philippines - Climate change is here and now.

And local executives, development planners, technical advisers and researchers who are in positions of influence need to hone their skills to advocate for policies and action plans to help ease the adverse impacts of climate change.

Dr. Gil Saguiguit Jr., director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), said, “Climate change is now considered one of the greatest challenges in the global pursuit of a sustainable future.”

He, however, observed that it was only during the last couple of years that awareness of extreme weather and the importance of adapting to the phenomenon has become widespread. 

“Advocacy is important at the grassroots where programs and projects that help communities cope with the risks associated with climate change need to be in place,” he said.

SEARCA is currently hold a five-day training-workshop on Environmental Leadership in Climate Change Adaptation at SEARCA in Los Baños, Laguna.

The training-workshop is co-sponsored by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Agricultural Research.

Earlier, a similar conference was convened in Bangkok by SEARCA, hosted by Thailand’s Maejo University, partially supported by the Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia, and in cooperation with the Philippine Climate Change Commission and United Nations Environment Program-Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

 The training-workshops are in response “to the growing need to widen awareness and spark collective action at the local level toward developing initiatives that can strengthen the nation’s capacity to cope with the risks presented by climate change,” Saguiguit said.

SEARCA has had a long experience in agriculture, rural development, fisheries and marine and natural resources management, he said, adding that the current training-workshop “will enhance Filipinos to play strategic roles in their respective fields” toward instituting policies and leading initiatives that primarily focus on climate change adaptation.

“The main objective is to develop local-level champions who can push for the development and implementation of policies and initiatives,” he said.

Based on science concepts, the training-workshop aims to broaden understanding of climate change and its impact on agriculture, fisheries and natural resources. It features science-based strategies and techniques in managing risks brought by climate change.

The speakers include Commissioner Naderev Saño of the National Climate Change Commission and Dr. Maria Victoria Espaldon, professor of Environmental Science and vice chancellor for research and extension of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).

They are joined by Dr. Laura David, professor at the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute; Dr. Rico Ancog, assistant professor at the School of Environmental Science and Management, UPLB; Dr. Lucille de Guzman, university researcher of the Crop Science Cluster of UPLB’s College of Agriculture; Dr. Maria Teresa Destura, assistant provincial agriculturist of Sorsogon; and Dr. Merian Mani, vice president for research, extension and production of Romblon State University.

The training-workshop discusses the experiences of different Philippine regions and localities on climate risk management. Participants are exposed to how leadership is challenged and how different climate-related events are handled.