Climate Change Commission Secretary Emmanuel de Guzman said building climate-resilient communities is a moral imperative to preserve the basic rights of the poor and the marginalized who are the most vulnerable to extreme weather events.
Speaking at the Social Development Initiatives Summit held in Davao City from August 17-19, De Guzman underscored the need to improve adaptation, mitigation and risk reduction to help communities deal with climate change.
“Poverty, as we all know, breeds disaster vulnerability, and those who have least in life, sadly, risk life most. To be indifferent and to do nothing on the threats of climate change is therefore an injustice to the vulnerable poor,” De Guzman, the vice chairman and executive director of the CCC, told the summit attended by multi-sectoral stakeholders.
“Rural people, particularly farmers, fisherfolk, and indigenous peoples should be given a strong voice in bottom-up adaptation and risk reduction planning and implementation since their views are grounded in their daily lives,” he said.
“Building the resilience of our communities enables them to thrive despite weather extremes and rising sea levels,” De Guzman added.
The national and local governments need to upgrade risk assessment, public health services, protection of the ecosystems, improvement of agricultural methods, management of water resources, and creation of settlements in safe zones, he concluded.
