The UPLB Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Environment Management (UPLB-INREM), in partnership with the UP Resilience Institute-Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards Center (UPRI-NOAH), concluded pilot workshops in 11 project sites to co-develop with locals key indicators of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability, also known as disaster risk factors.
During the co-development process, UPLB-INREM and UPRI-NOAH learned about the experiences of local communities on the impacts of climate-related hazards on forests, agriculture, coastal areas, and the people or population.
These sites included the Buang River Watershed and Delehi River Watershed in Siruma, Basco Watersheds in Batanes, Sicaba River Watershed and Malogo River Watershed in Negros Occidental, Ocoy and Banica Rivers Watersheds in Negros Oriental, Sumlog-Cuabo River Watershed in Davao, Deguiboy (Mabintangen) River Watershed in Coron, Ditapic (Sinibayan) River Watershed in Busuanga, Loak (Dita) River Watershed in Culion, and the Sitio Pula Watersheds in Linapacan.
The pilot workshops were conducted on-site over a six-month period in coordination with local government units (LGUs) under the Philippines-Canada Partnership on Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation-Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (PCP4NbS-VRA) and culminated in January 2025.
Representatives of LGUs, national government agencies, state universities and colleges, non-government organizations, people’s organizations, and civil society organizations participated in the pilot co-development workshops.
Dr. Rose Jane J. Peras, Dr. Maricel T. Villamayor, Dr. Lorena L. Sabino, Liezl B. Grefalda, and Farah Y. Sevilla facilitated the workshops under the supervision of Dr. Juan M. Pulhin. Kyle Vincent R. Singson, Arge Louise Joy S. Esquivel, April Dawn F. Tegelan, Gifford Jay L. Agudo, and Marsh Reginald B. Ebale assisted the facilitators during the workshops.
The workshops were conducted with the assistance of local partners of the Forest Foundation Philippines, namely the Institute of Social Order, Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Philippines Eagle Foundation, Calamianes Resilience Network, and Tess Mirabueno of Batanes.
Field visits were also conducted to assess the diversity of flora and fauna in the project areas, a determinant of a healthy ecosystem. Dr. Pastor L. Malabrigo Jr. and Ebale, who are both licensed foresters, conducted the biodiversity assessment with the assistance of local forest stewards.
The team will use inputs from the workshop, results from the biodiversity assessment, and data from relevant agencies for the vulnerability risk assessment (VRA).
The PCP4NbS-VRA project is part of PCP4NbS, which is managed by the Forest Foundation Philippines and funded by the Government of Canada.
It aims to conduct robust VRA to provide a menu of options for nature-based solutions (NbS) for the selected project sites, which address climate resilience, gender equality, and biodiversity conservation.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature defines NbS as actions to protect, regenerate, and sustain ecosystems to address societal challenges, including climate change, food security, and disaster risk reduction. Thus, NbS provides multiple outcomes for biodiversity and communities.
To ensure that the results of the VRA and the initial menu of NbS options are consistent with the local situation, the VRA team will conduct a follow-through validation workshop in the succeeding months. (Kyle Vincent R. Singson, Farah Y. Sevilla)