Part of its resilient cities project
TACLOBAN CITY – The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), along with a team from the Korea Environment Institute (KEI) and SusIF, recently visited Borongan City to conduct a consultation as part of the Philippine Climate Resilient Cities (PCRC) Project.
Borongan, the capital city of Eastern Samar, is one of the beneficiaries of this project, along with Batangas, Legaspi, Iloilo, and Cotabato.
The KOICA delegation, headed by Country Director Kim Eunsub, met with Mayor Jose Ivan Agda, various city government officials, partner organizations, and project stakeholders to discuss the city’s climate resiliency situation, needs, and priorities.
The delegation also surveyed several high-risk areas significantly affected by climate change, including the Lo-om River, a major river in the city.
Based on the consultations and site surveys, the project team will identify and develop meaningful interventions under the PCRC.
During the meeting, Kim emphasized that the PCRC’s focus on climate adaptation planning and capacity building will significantly help cities develop long-term climate solutions.
Mayor Agda said that the various calamities and disasters faced by the city which have led to crafting policies that protect the environment and conducting capacity building for climate adaptation.
This provided KOICA and its partners with ideas on what additional assistance they can provide to the local government unit (LGU).
Implemented from 2023 to 2026, this US$750,000(around P41 million) project aims to improve the resiliency of cities by strengthening their capacities to respond to the devastating effects of climate change.
Part of the project involves developing guidelines and case studies on climate adaptation technologies and conducting capacity-building courses in Korea and the Philippines.
Adaptation technologies for various sectors such as agriculture, forestry, energy, urban planning, water, and disaster risk reduction will be identified based on the specific needs and situations of the respective cities.
The PCRC is designed to support and complement the ongoing Climate Resilient Cities (CRC) Project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
In March 2023, KOICA signed a Grant Arrangement with USAID, contributing US$1.25 million to the CRC Project. This project helps six cities (Batangas, Legazpi, Borongan, Iloilo, Cotabato, and Zamboanga) adapt to, mitigate, and manage the impacts of climate change and disasters.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
