The Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Foundation Inc. (OML Center) presented the key results for the project entitled “Study on the Implications of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C to Plans and Programs of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)”. 

The culminating activity was held in the morning of 15 October 2019 at the Forest Management Bureau Conference Room, DENR Compound in Quezon City.

Headed by Dr. Rodel Lasco, OML Center Executive Director and Project Team Leader, the project team presented their analysis on how DENR’s ten priority programs can be improved to become more climate-responsive. For a program to be climate-responsive, it should have the following characteristics: (1) flexibility; (2) integrative and holistic; (3) long-term; (4) public-private engagement; (5) evidence- and information-based; (6) addresses interconnected risks and vulnerabilities; (7) stimulate migration to green-development pathways; (8) address multiple objectives; (9) promote incremental and transformational adaptation; (10) high acceptability by local and national actors; (11) governance structure; and (12) sufficient funding. 

The team also recommended to look at climate impacts and risks using the ridge-to-reef approach as a tool to craft policies and design programs for climate change adaptation and mitigation. This calls for DENR to be at the core of strengthening inter-agency and cross-sectoral coordination and information sharing. Additionally, the experts believe that localized studies on impacts of climate change given various global warming scenarios, as well as those that will capture baseline data for climate change-related information are needed to better understand how ecosystems in the country will be affected in the future.

Set to end on 31 October 2019, the four-month project is being implemented with support from the German Government through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

For more information on this project:

• “The OML Center tackles the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C in the 1st Workshop on DENR’s Policies and Programs”
• “OML Center Conducts 2nd Workshop to Validate Climate-Resilient Indicators for DENR’s Ten Priority Programs”