DENR says climate-change plan names 22 provinces

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Thursday that it identified 22 vulnerable provinces in its climate change and disaster risk cluster road map for 2018-2022, which has been submitted to Malacañang.

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, who also heads the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation, and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR), said that the four-year plan recommends upgrades in the adaptability of 22 provinces, 822 coastal municipalities, and some major cities.

He did not give a full list of the vulnerable areas, though the department said separately that priority provinces for 2019 are the Dinagat islands, Masbate, Negros Oriental, Sarangani, Sorsogon, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Western Samar.

Other government agencies that are part of the CCAM-DRR cluster are also expected to turn in road maps on Participatory Governance, Infrastructure, Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Security, Justice, and Peace, and Economic Development.

Undersecretary for Climate Change and Mining Concerns Analiza RebueltaTeh said that the road map’s resolution was issued in January and is expected to be implemented through a Risk Resiliency Program (RRP).

“The RRP is the framework program to assist the Philippines in strengthening the resiliency of natural ecosystems and the adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities to short and long-term risks,” she added.

“The RRP also aims to contribute to the attainment of the Philippine Development Plan goal of inclusive growth by minimizing the impacts of climate and disaster risks.”

The DENR said the 2019 priority areas were selected for high poverty, susceptibility or exposure to hazards, and critical or degraded watersheds.” —