Global warming fund sought

By Michael Lim Ubac

Ten lawmakers from Asia, Europe, Africa and South America on Saturday issued the Manila Declaration on climate change, which calls on rich nations to create a global fund to help reduce disaster risks brought by rising sea temperatures.

The five-page document titled “The Manila Call for Action of Parliamentarians on Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation” was issued at the close of a two-day consultative meeting at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

The Manila Declaration calls for a “comprehensive strategic approach needed for creating an enabling environment for political and financial commitment in reducing human, social, economic and environmental vulnerability to climate-related hazards.”

It says in effect that rich nations, the biggest polluters, were morally obliged to contribute to the fund.

It also calls on the United Nations and the European Union to make the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 legally binding.

The Hyogo Framework is a global blueprint adopted in Kobe, Japan, to substantially reduce losses and prevent disasters after tsunamis hit the Indian Ocean in 2005.

The meeting, the first on addressing disasters associated with climate change, was held under the direction of Dr. Salvano Briceño, head of the secretariat of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, in collaboration with the Global Legislators’ Organization for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE).

First line of defense

Sen. Loren Legarda, co-convenor of the meeting, said the declaration also pushed for policy changes in national and international levels to make disaster risk reduction the first line of defense against climate change.

“Twenty years ago, nobody listened. Ten years ago, some people listened. Today, you are here,” Legarda said. “We will not stop until the effects are felt in the grass roots.”

She also promised to help put a stop to the “cycle of catastrophe and tragedy” in the Philippines by instituting preventive strategies through legislation to decrease human vulnerability to disasters.

At a press conference, Legarda said EU donor agencies could help the Philippines and other developing nations cope with the disasters brought by climate change.

She said the EU had the World Agroforestry Fund which could be tapped to contribute to the global fund.

“I’ve been [inviting] donor agencies to come to the Philippines and help local development plans,” the senator said, pointing out that developing nations like the Philippines were “very vulnerable” to climate change hazards.

“The Manila Declaration embodies the statement of action by parliamentarians who participated in the global meeting. It is imperative for parliamentarians to take the lead in creating a policy and institutional environment that is conducive to promoting multi-stakeholder collaboration at all levels,” she said. Continued...