21 May 2011 - The Philippine Mission in Geneva reported that Dr. Nathaniel T. Servando, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Acting Administrator, participated in the 16th World Meteorological Congress being held in Geneva, Switzerland from May 16 to June 3.
He presented the Philippine statement at the High-Level Segment of the Congress on behalf of Science and Technology Undersecretary Graciano P. Yumul, Jr. on May 17.
In the statement, Dr. Servando reaffirmed the Philippines' support for global efforts to address the climate change challenge.He said that the enormity of this challenge requires a comprehensive and coordinated response from the world community, and as such, expressed Philippine support in principle for the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS).
He said he expected that the GFCS "will go a long way to address risks and provide appropriate adaptation measures associated with climate variability and climate change at all levels."
He added that the GFCS, which is one of the outcomes of the 2009 World Climate Conference-3 (WCC-3), will help to further strengthen existing local, national, regional and global networks of climate observation, research, and services programs.
The implementation of the GFCS will be crucial in capacity development to address the challenges and impacts of climate variability and change for countries such as the Philippines.
Dr. Servando noted that being an archipelago of 7,109 islands with a total coastline of about 36,000 kilometers, the Philippines is among the countries most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
He recalled that the country is exposed to such disasters as sea level rise, coastal flooding and inundation due to the projected increase in the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones.
He further noted actions being undertaken at the national level, including the enactment of the Climate Change Act, the issuance of the Climate Change Framework Strategy and the finalization of the National Climate Change Action Plan.
Dr. Servando added that Department of Science and Technology, through PAGASA, assists in efforts to incorporate integrated disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation measures into national policies.
These efforts include the identification of priorities and options in key sectors, such as agriculture, water resources, health, transport, tourism, disaster risk management and coastal management through existing national assessments and action plans, in support of national sustainable development goals.
He also mentioned that the Philippines also contributes to meeting the training needs of the region.
Through PAGASA and the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM) of the University of the Philippines, the country is one of the WMO Regional Training Centers (RTCs), conducting various training courses in meteorology and operational hydrology. END