United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon cited the province of Albay in the Bicol Region as among the local governments which initially signed the UN’s latest campaign on climate change in Bonn, Germany.
Albay is among the first local governments which have already committed to a 10-point checklist to step up investment in urban planning; infrastructure and building safety; reinforcing drainage systems to reduce flooding; and installing early warning systems, among other measures, under a two-year UN Campaign dubbed, “Making Cities Resilient: My City is Getting Ready.”
It was signed by Albay Governor Joey Salceda at the First World Congress on Cities and
Adaptation to Climate Change in Bonn from May 28 to 30.
“I encourage all cities to join, following the examples of Bonn, Mexico City, Saint-Louis in Senegal, Larreynaga-Malpaisillo in Nicaragua, Albay in the Philippines, Baofeng in China, and Karlstad in Sweden," Ban said in a message to the International Disaster and Risk Conference in Davos, Switzerland.
“A resilient city and its citizens can benefit greatly from the opportunities presented by urban risk reduction actions,” added Margareta Wahlström, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction. “When successfully mobilized, resilient cities may benefit from growth and employment, business opportunities, balanced ecosystems, better health and improved education.”
The campaign also calls on local community groups, planners, academe, NGOs and the private sector to join in the efforts to make as many cities as resilient as possible.
It was Albay governor Joey Salceda who initiated a climate change action as part of the local governance strategy towards economic and social development, urging other local governments to do the same.
Albay is home to 1.3-million people. It has gone through major volcanic eruptions and typhoons, the most disastrous was supertyphoon "Reming" (internatonal name: Durian) in 2006.
Ban meanwhile underscored the importance of disaster risk reduction in combating climate change as well as attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
"With the earthquake in Haiti and other disasters, this year began with tragic reminders of the vulnerability of societies and the complexities inherent in any response," Ban said.
A climate change meeting will be held in Cancun, Mexico in December while an MDG summit will be convened at the UN Headquarters in New York in September.
"Disaster risk reduction can help to advance progress across this agenda. By focusing on the linkages, we can achieve a triple win by reducing the impact of disasters, adapting to climate change and safeguarding our development gains,” Ban said.
- MADEL R. SABATER, (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/259988/un-cites-albay-s-drive-against-climate-change)
Photo credits: http://www.newsweekstudy.com/images/ban.jpg | http://www.arkibongbayan.org/2007-01Jan23-albayonemonthafter/00-guinorailway/100_9811.JPG
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