Unified climate change plan for LGUs sought

MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista has sought a unified action plan for climate change adaptation that will cover all cities and municipalities in the country.

“We need a cooperative action for all local government units (LGUs). We welcome independent initiatives in addressing climate change issues, but it’s best if we all together act on the problem,” Bautista said.

He added that conflicting environment-related activities between and among LGUs have led to sudden, unexplained incidents of flooding, landslides, and fish kills that cost millions of pesos in disaster mitigation efforts.

A known climate change adaptation champion, Bautista has been at the forefront of activities like a night run aimed at increasing public awareness on effective ways to adapt to climate change.

He said a unified action plan on climate change adaptation would add teeth to poverty alleviation efforts at the community level.

 “When there is a typhoon, it is the poor who is most disadvantaged. Their meager earnings are wiped out.”

Bautista and mayors from other countries joined thousands of marchers at the People’s Climate March last Sept. 21 in New York to draw support of national governments into making strong commitments and action on climate change.

His view on climate change as it relates to poverty is shared by World Bank special envoy for climate change Rachel Kyte.

In a recent visit to the Philippines, Kyte said “countries need to take bolder action now before the impacts of climate change put prosperity out of reach for millions and roll back decades of development. If we don’t confront climate change, we won’t end poverty. The cost of inaction far exceeds the cost of action.”