The State adopts the following Guiding Principles in formulating the National Framework Strategy on Climate Change, referred to as the Framework: The Framework envisions a climate risk-resilient Philippines with healthy, safe, prosperous and self-reliant communities, and thriving and productive ecosystems. The goal is to build the adaptive capacity of communities and increase the resilience of natural ecosystems to climate change, and optimize mitigation opportunities towards sustainable development. The Philippines, as a State Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is committed to its core principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. The precautionary principle guides the State’s climate change framework and shall take precautionary measures to anticipate, prevent or minimize the causes of climate change and its adverse effects. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing such measures (2). This Framework takes into consideration and complies with the commitments of the Philippines in multilateral environmental treaties, specifically the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The concentration of climate-vulnerable dams and irrigation in Luzon, which is the location of 60 percent of national irrigated rice production, will definitely weaken the overall resiliency of the country’s national food security and self-sufficiency to climate change (3). Addressing the country’s multiple vulnerabilities to climate change requires an integrated ecosystem-based management approach (9.2). The existing human-induced threats to biodiversity are compounded by the adverse impacts of climate change on terrestrial and aquatic flora and fauna communities. The Strategy objective is to mainstream biodiversity adaptation strategies to climate change in policies, plans and programmes of national and local government agencies (9.2.3). In the overall effort of combating the effects of climate change, disaster risk reduction (DRR) shall be the first line of defense. Thus, beyond normal relief operations, the Framework Strategy shall expand and upgrade the country’s capacity to address and anticipate disasters such as typhoons, floods, and landslides. This would bring a renewed focus on science-based early warning systems and capacity-building for local government units and organizations for disaster preparedness and risk management. This would also entail vulnerability assessment of communities as well as prioritized disaster planning and management for areas in the typhoon-path and flood-prone areas (9.7). Its objective is to reduce disaster risks from climate change-induced natural hazards through the following Strategic Priorities: a) Adoption of a responsive policy framework to serve as an enabling environment for reducing losses from natural disasters, including climate change-related risks; b) Use of the best available and practicable tools and technologies from the social and natural sciences as decision aids and support systems to stakeholders in preventing, reducing and managing disaster risks; c) Enhancement of institutional and technical capacity to facilitate the paradigm shift from disaster response to disaster preparedness and mitigation; d) Enhancement of national monitoring, forecasting and hazard warning systems; and improve effectiveness of early warning systems available to communities; e) Mainstreaming of climate and disaster risk-based planning in national and local development and land use planning thru the application of disaster risk assessment and by further supporting capacity development, including the preparation/ gathering and dissemination of appropriate data and maps necessary for national. Regional, provincial and city/municipal planning (9.7). The success of the country’s adaptation efforts are seriously dependent on how the country’s water resources are governed and managed. Therefore, appropriate mechanisms must be established towards protecting and enhancing the integrity of our water resources towards environmental flows for biodiversity, agriculture, energy, and consumption of settlements and industries. Its objective is to reduce water sector vulnerability to climate change through participatory water governance, resource management and sectoral policy reform through the following Strategic Priorities: a) Reduce climate change vulnerability of water resources through improved water governance and resource management mechanisms; b) Mainstream climate change adaptation in water resources policies and development planning; c) Promote water sector reforms that will address the weak and fragmented institutional and regulatory framework; etc. (9.3).
Филиппины · 2010-01-01