GIZ: Germany’s global advocate for peace promotion, climate change action
The 2017 global survey Germany in the
Eyes of the World revealed that many people all over the world look to Germany for “viable solutions to future challenges in the interests of the wider community.”
Indeed, for over 50 years now, the German government, through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, has been sharing Germany’s technical know-how and strong experience in addressing present and future challenges with the most vulnerable countries worldwide.
Among the most pressing of these challenges are conflicts and climate change, according to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals Report 2018.
Peace in Mindanao
Armed conflicts between the government and rebel and separatist groups, and local conflicts over natural resources, have stalled development in the southern Philippines for decades. Jointly, GIZ experts and partner organizations are strengthening the capacities of the Philippine government, civil society, and marginalized groups to peacefully address these conflicts.
About 7,500 stakeholders from conflictaffected communities and diverse sectoral groups across Lanao have participated in over 100 dialogues for local peace solutions and for enhancing the Bangsamoro peace process. Academic and civil society groups led and sustain these efforts.
In Regions 10, 11, and Caraga, 690 government representatives have been trained on conflict-sensitive and joint development and land-use planning based on the country’s first-ever regional roadmap for peace. Four multisectoral protected area management boards can now jointly manage overlapping protected areas and ancestral domains, implement livelihood projects, use drones, and apply indigenous knowledge systems and practices for biodiversity conservation. The granting of titles to seven ancestral domains is being supported, even as nine ancestral domains already have sustainable management and development plans. Moreover, 147 communities can now access legal services combining traditional and indigenous justice systems. The government is preparing to better assist people displaced by conflicts.
cliMate change Mitigation and adaPtation
The Philippines, being one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, GIZ works with its government, civil society, private sector, and academe to make it more resilient and to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
A National Climate Change Action Plan has been developed, with systems for funding projects, monitoring and evaluating results, and managing information.
More than 140 local government units are skilled in climate-smart land-use planning for disaster risk reduction and environmental protection. Insurance regulators and companies are working hard to offer affordable disaster risk insurance products.
Forest protection and rehabilitation have decreased soil erosion, while raising local income by 36 percent and reducing CO2 emissions by 890,000 tonnes annually. Moreover, 430,318 hectares of marine protected areas are managed better and networked for transboundary protection of critically endangered green turtles as part of the biodiversity-rich Sulu-Sulawesi region comprising the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia. New conservation areas span 255,730 hectares in 69 sites nationwide.
Technical and business models for solar-powered livelihood projects in offgrid communities have been presented to potential investors and implementers, and are being piloted in three sites. Energy efficiency is being promoted in consumer markets and in business and government operations.
More projects for peace and climate change action are on their way.