In a significant stride towards building climate resilience, a momentous signing ceremony was held to formalize the launch of the Philippine Climate Resilient Cities (PCRC) Project between the Korean government, through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Philippines’ City Governments of Batangas, Legazpi, Iloilo, Borongan, Cotabato and Zamboanga on August 30, 2023. The signing ceremony marks the beginning of a five-year journey to improve climate resilience of cities by enhancing their capacity to understand and use climate adaptation technology.
Situated in the western edge of the Pacific, the Philippines is continually exposed to natural hazards such as earthquakes, typhoons, floods and droughts. The nation’s heavy reliance on climate-sensitive natural resources leaves it particularly susceptible to the far-reaching consequences of climate change, which encompasses factors such as sea level rise, heightened occurrence of extreme weather events, elevated temperatures, and shifting rainfall patterns. These extreme weather occurrences often lead to the displacement of communities, resulting in injuries, loss of life, destruction of vital infrastructure, disruptions to livelihoods, and hindrances to economic growth. The urban poor are most at risk due to their lack of resources to cope with the threats of natural hazards and the effects of climate change.
Earlier this year in March, KOICA signed a Grant Arrangement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for the ‘Climate Resilient Cities Project’ worth USD 1.25 million to improve resilience by strengthening the adaptive capacities of Philippine cities to adapt to, mitigate, and manage the impacts of climate change and disasters. This Arrangement served as a tangible realization of the objectives outlined in the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between USAID Philippines and KOICA Philippines back in April 2021. The MOU set the groundwork for strategic cooperation, particularly in priority sectors such as climate change, with the shared goal of propelling the nation’s growth and development.
Along with the framework of the Arrangement established between KOICA and USAID, KOICA will provide an additional USD 750,000 in grant funding through the PCRC project to deliver vital technical assistance to promote the use of climate adaptation technologies. Comprehensive climate adaptation technology guidelines will be developed for the six designated cities based on their local circumstances. The primary intent is to strengthen the local government units’ (LGU) understanding of climate adaptation technologies and facilitate their practical application. To achieve this, KOICA will also organize local capacity building workshops, conduct invitational trainings in Korea, and dispatch Korean experts who will provide technical guidance to the LGUs.