Zambo hosts climate change summit

By NONOY E. LACSON
February 1, 2010, 7:20pm

ZAMBOANGA CITY – A Summit on climate change aimed primarily to explain the science and future impact projections including several relevant strategies on how communities can adapt to climate change will be held here on Wednesday.

City Mayor Celso Lobregat Monday said the summit dubbed “Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Climate Change Adaptation,” will be themed “Reducing Disaster Risk in a Changing Climate.”

It will be a joint initiative of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), and the city government here.

The mayor said the proposed activity will make the people informed on measures on how to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The participants to the summit are representatives from the national government, local government units (LGUs), non-government organizations (NGOs), academe, private sector/business organizations, communities/vulnerable sectors, and the media.

Department of National Defense (DND) acting Secretary Norberto Gonzales will keynote the event.

While various lecturers who are experts on disaster management and the climate change phenomenon, have been invited to share their insights to the participants.

Scientists predict that climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as floods, cyclones and droughts.

It is widely recognized that climate change is real and a major threat to socio-economic, environmental, and human development.

It is also likely that it will lead to other changes such as ecosystem degradation, reduced availability of water and food and changes to livelihoods, which will increase the vulnerability of communities to natural hazards.