CALD Climate Change Workshop II

Climate change impacts threaten to stall economic development in Asia and the Pacific, and endanger the health and safety of its vast population. Climate change causes temperature, wind, and precipitation to vary, with profound effects on natural systems. These in turn have effects on the health, safety, and livelihoods of people—especially poor people. Nowhere in the world are as many people affected by climate change as in Asia and the Pacific.

Asian Development Bank
Understanding and Responding to Climate Change in Developing Asia (2009)

Asia-Pacific is arguably the most vulnerable region to the adverse effects of climate change – and the events of the past year can attest to that. The year 2011 commenced with the worst floods in Sri Lanka’s recent history, deluging 11 of the country’s 25 districts, destroying 125,000 acres of rice fields, and affecting around 1 million people. In the latter part of the year, Thailand’s capital and surrounding provinces were inundated by unprecedented floods that claimed more than 800 lives, affected 3 million households and cost the economy up to USD 45 billion. At around the same time, 17 out of the 23 provinces in Cambodia were also severely flooded, leaving more than 200 deaths and 1.2 million people displaced. At the other side of the Pacific, the United States experienced the deadliest tornado year on record with more than 500 deaths. The year was capped by the devastation brought by tropical storm Sendong (International Name: Washi) in southern Philippines, a region not frequently visited by typhoons, where more than 1000 people perished and 50,000 more rendered homeless.

The immense cost of these natural catastrophes proves that countries in the Asia-Pacific region are facing the greatest risks from erratic weather patterns characterized by sea-level rise, increasing intensity of tropical storms and greater rainfall variability. In the 2011 World Risk Index Ranking released by the United Nations University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security, the most vulnerable countries to natural disasters can be found in the Asia-Pacific Region. In a way, the vulnerability of these countries is a result of a geography which made them expose and susceptible to nature’s fury. Vulnerability, however, is also a product of coping or adaptive capacities, or lack of it, which can affect a country’s readiness to immediately respond to disasters or adapt to their impacts.

The United Nations defines adaptation as the “adjustment in ecological, social, or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli and their effects or impacts”. It added that the concept refers to changes in “processes, practices, or structures to moderate or offset potential damages or to take advantage of opportunities associated with changes in climate.” Adaptation, in essence, involves adjustments to decrease the vulnerability to climate change and increase resilience to future impacts. Considering that rising temperatures, intensifying typhoons, widespread flooding and devastating droughts have become “the new normal”, building people’s capacities to adapt becomes more important than ever.

Adaptation, however, has been assailed by critics from various fronts. Some of those who believe in the reality of climate change argue that focusing on adaptation would divert attention away from the more urgent task of reducing carbon emissions. The climate change unbelievers, on the other hand, claim that since climate change is a hoax, there is no necessity to come up with adaptation strategies.

Whether changing weather patterns are linked to climate change or not, the reality is that these changes are occurring, and they are resulting in immense lost of life, livelihood, property and sense of security. It is for this reason that adaptation becomes not only a matter of necessity, but of survival.

CALD Secretary General and Philippine Presidential Adviser on Environmental Concerns Secretary (Minister) Neric Acosta highlights the exigency of ―building resilience and adaptation‖ in this era of changing weather patterns. He summarized the components of an effective adaptation strategy through the mnemonic device ― “4Is” – information, investments, institutions, and innovation.

Information. Secretary Acosta emphasized the value of technology in gathering information relevant to formulating adaptation policies and strategies. He said, “The wealth of empirical data with GPS and other satellite-driven technology allows us to view and utilize scientific information (from simple simulations to the more sophisticated assemblage of graphs and maps) as sound tools for preparedness, planning and policy-making. We cannot manage that which we are not able to measure, or monitor that which we are not able to map. When geo-hazard and vulnerable areas are identified, for example, land-use planning for local communities can be rationalized. It follows that when we are able to simulate scenarios and extrapolate from aggregated data, we will craft infrastructure programs differently.”

Investments. Building resilience and adaptation to climate change also entails a rethinking not only in making business investments but also in investing in climate- resilient infrastructure. As what Secretary Acosta said, “[…]taking into account economic costs and benefits in the context of climate-change realities, where and how we manage investments will be crucial… In agriculture, climate-resistant varieties of rice or other crops will have to be cultivated… Houses and buildings will have to be more climate- smart or climate-proof, not simply as a matter of ̳green design, ‘but of ensuring settlements are resilient and able to adapt to harsh environmental vicissitudes.'”

Institutions. Public and private institutions have a big role to play in fostering adaptation and resilience. “When government provides the platforms for intervention, it becomes a strong catalyst for business and other sectors to be engaged and for communities to act with a common direction—whether these have to do with ensuring early-warning systems, having quick response and rescue mechanisms, or establishing long-term integrated reforestation-watershed, agro-industrial development, and better land-use programs,” Secretary Acosta said.

Innovation. Innovation is the essence of adaptation. As it is not always easy to innovate, the process must be driven by persons or institutions with proven integrity in order to inspire people to action. As Secretary Acosta put it, “[…]information, investments and institutions on a whole will not have optimal reach and inter-generational impact if there is no sustained leadership that is driven both by integrity and imagination.”
In recognition of the importance of developing the people’s adaptive capabilities and building their resilience, the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) has chosen the theme Climate Change in Asia: Addressing Vulnerability, Fostering Adaptation for CALD Climate Change Workshop II in Manila/Cagayan de Oro/Bukidnon, The Philippines on 10-14 February 2012. Manila, Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon were chosen as venues for this workshop because they are considered as “climate change hotspots” which are vulnerable to sea level rise, storm surges, increased flooding, loss of surrounding forest cover, siltation, subsidence and saltwater intrusion. Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon are still reeling from devastation caused by the December 2011 typhoon, the worst in decades, while Manila, which has been frequently battered by tropical storms, experienced its worst flooding in September 2009 when typhoon Ondoy (International Name: Ketsana) submerged 80% of the metropolis.

This workshop builds from the results of the previous one held in Bangkok, Thailand in November 2011. The Bangkok workshop, which carried the theme Setting CALD’s Climate Change Agenda, recognized the need for further discussion on Asian countries’ experiences regarding the following policy areas: land use and demographic settlement; water-related issues and marine and coastal resource management; and renewable energy, investment and economic opportunities.

CALD Climate Change Workshop II therefore will begin with an elaboration of the state of and impact of climate change on these areas, knowing that the task of formulating a regional climate change agenda should begin with adequate information on the similarities and differences of Asian countries on the effects of climate change. Armed with this information, the workshop will proceed to strategies of adapting to climate change impacts and of building community resilience. The workshop will end with an identification of specific CALD policy positions on the climate change areas identified, which could serve as the basis for coming up with a coherent and policy-relevant CALD climate change agenda to be presented in an International Climate Change Conference scheduled in Palawan on 23-27 March 2012.

The German foundation for liberal politics – Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom – serves as a valuable partner in this workshop. The workshop hopes to achieve the following objectives:

(1) identify the various climate change threats that Asian countries face and how governance (or lack of it) addresses these threats.

(2) examine the different measures and strategies to build climate change adaptability and resilience;

(3) elaborate on the climate change policy areas identified in the previous CALD climate change meeting (Bangkok/November 2011) and list CALD positions on these areas; and

(4) provide a venue to devise a strategic plan which identifies follow-up activities, objectives, responsibilities, strategies and intended outcomes.

The workshop methodology includes an opening conference, workshop sessions (plenary and small working group), and exposure trips.

Opening Conference: Organized in cooperation with Xavier University, the opening conference, with the theme Building Adaptation and Resilience for Cagayan de Oro City, aims to provide the participants with a background on the devastation incurred by the city in the aftermath of the December 2011 typhoon, the issues and problems that arose in the relief and rehabilitation efforts, and the strategies employed by both the national and local governments in improving the coping and adaptive capacities of the city residents.

Workshop Sessions: The workshop will be divided into three (3) sessions, excluding the introductory and closing sessions. The objectives and formats of the sessions are given below:

1) Session I: Climate Change: How Vulnerable are Asian Countries?

This session aims to identify the main climate change-related threats that Asian countries confront, and how good governance (or the lack of it) can address these risks. The session will commence with a presentation on the topic by a resource person, followed by a quick round of sharing.

2) Session II: From Vulnerability to Adaptation: Policy Responses and Impact

The second session hopes to discuss the policy responses of the countries of the participants to various climate change threats, as well as the impact of those responses on the three policy areas identified above. The goal is to share best practices and reach a consensus on how climate change should be addressed at the regional level. For this session, the discussion will be conducted through three groups/three rounds of world café, with the three table hosts providing a brief summary at the end of the session.

3) Session III: Towards a CALD Climate Change Agenda: Identifying CALD’s Policy Positions

The last session will be a plenary discussion on the specific CALD policy positions on the three identified policy areas. These policy positions could serve as the basis for a CALD resolution/statement/declaration on climate change, as well as the foundation for a coherent and policy-relevant CALD climate change agenda.

Exposure Trips: The exposure trips consist of three (3) site visits: 1) Kampo Juan – to showcase an eco-farm based on the principle of climate-smart tourism; 2) Areas of Devastation – to show the extent of devastation incurred by Cagayan de Oro City after the December 2011 typhoon; and 3) Rehabilitation Areas – to demonstrate the rehabilitation efforts undertaken by governments, civil society organizations, and private individuals, particularly in providing temporary shelter and sustenance to the displaced.

Categorised in: Conferences & Workshops

This post was written by CALD