Climate change mitigation requires out-of-the-box thinking -- Loren

MALDIVES (July 13) - Senator Loren Legarda has expressed hope that the Philippines can forge an agreement similar to the landmark accord signed today by Malvides and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).

The agreement coincided with a visit to the country by a UNISDR delegation led by Loren, the United Nation's Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for the Asia Pacific Region.

"Countries like the Maldives are the most vulnerable and the least capable to deal with the effects of the changing climate. They are also the smartest, the innovators and the leaders in out of the box thinking," said Loren.

"We need to take inspiration from what they are doing in climate change mitigation and assist them as they battle disasters made worse by global warming," she added in praising the efforts of Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed.

Maldives has announced its aim to be the first carbon-neutral country in the world in 10 years, cutting its usage of oil and shifting it to renewable energy. It promotes the use of solar panels, wind turbines, biomass plants and renewable resources not only in industry and home use but also in transportation.

Loren and the UNISDR delegation conferred with Nasheed, while visiting islands in the Indian Ocean that were devastated by a tsunami in 2004 but were already rehabilitated.

Among the islands visited by Loren and UNISDR delegates were Vilfushi and Rhakeedo.

Composed of 1,192 islands, 80 percent of which are threatened by inundation in the event of a one-meter rise in sea level, Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of population and land area.

Loren agreed with President Nasheed that all nations must minimize the destructive effects of disasters to people and economies by investing and incorporating disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation measures in government policies and actions.

The chair of the Philippine Senate's Oversight Committee on Climate Change, Loren cited the beneficial features of the Maldives-UNISDR agreement that may entice the Philippines to also seek UN support in forming its own policy frameworks on moderating the effects of climate change and natural disasters.

According to the UNISDR, activities under the agreement will commence immediately with UNISDR and its partners assisting the government of Maldives in the development and implementation of a Strategic National Action Plan on Disaster Risk Reduction.

The accord also calls for organizing a partners and donors forum to implement the plan, as well as staging a leaders' forum to promote and publicize key issues ahead of the climate negotiations set for December.

Loren noted that the above-mentioned activities will be complemented by the capacity building that will be provided for by school teachers, engineers, architects and government officials on practical ways to reduce disaster risks.

"The construction sector, as can be seen by the UNISDR thrust, must be given an active role in disaster risk reduction insofar as building safer structures on safer grounds, away from known landslide and easily flooded areas, as well as fault lines vulnerable to earthquakes," she said.

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forecasts that the seas are likely to rise by up to 59 centimeters by 2100 due to global warming.

Most of Maldives are just 1.5 meter above sea level and combined with issues like beach erosion, water shortages and limited shore defenses, the tipping point for the Maldivians to leave the islands may be even earlier than the current projection of 2100.