By: For. Janiella Sandoval and For. Rysch Nae Subijano
In celebration of the 16th Annual Global Warming and Climate Consciousness Week, with the theme “Bayanihan para sa Klima: Bagong Bansang Matatag,” the South-South Collaboration on Climate Information Services (SSCIS) Project organized a symposium on the 24th of November 2023 at Joy Nostalg Hotel & Suites Manila, Ortigas Center, Pasig.
The symposium served as an avenue for stakeholders from different sectors such as environment, agriculture, academe, health, research and technology, to cascade approaches and best practices towards climate resilience.
The symposium featured presentations of products and studies on climate information services (CIS) supported by the SSCIS Projects, specifically:
(a) CIS Community of Practice Guidance Document;
(b) Mapping of the CIS Data Usage Landscape in the Philippines; and
(c) CIS for Agriculture and Health Planning and Decision-Making among Local Government Units in the Philippines.
The symposium commenced with Nicole Kranz from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) delivering the opening remarks, followed by a keynote message from the Philippines Climate Change Commission (CCC). Subsequently, Jimmy Loro of GIZ presented the SSCIS Project and Updates.
Mr. Jaker de Claro took the floor as the initial speaker, addressing the “CIS Community of Practice (COP) Guidance Document.” His presentation highlighted the significance of a community charter as the roadmap for collaborative progress within the CIS COP Guidance Document. Establishing a CIS/community charter involves four phases: (1) Establishing the network, (2) Launching the community, (3) Sustaining the Rhythm, and (4) Maturing the practice.
Mr. de Claro highlighted the diverse composition of the COP, which encompasses stakeholders from national government agencies, state universities and colleges, higher education institutions, research institutions, think tanks, local government units, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, civil society groups, and media. These stakeholders contribute to capacity development, engaging stakeholders, providing coaching and mentoring, and sharing best practices geared towards fostering community resilience.
Jace Peralta from Thinking Machines, Inc. was the second speaker and discussed the “Mapping the CIS Data Usage Landscape in the Philippines.” His presentation focused on mapping the existing CIS in the Philippines to comprehensively grasp the extent and variety of available climate data that may contribute to CIS initiatives. The speaker outlined project objectives: inventorying available CIS, evaluating CIS maturity, and examining CIS functions in policy development. Additionally, emphasis was placed on creating a data catalog for climate-related datasets, specifically the locally generated data for sectors like agriculture and health.
C4 EcoSolutions delivered the final presentation titled “CIS for Agriculture and Health Planning and Decision-Making among Local Government Units in the Philippines.” The study focuses on examining the present state of CIS within the Philippines, specifically within the health and agriculture sectors and their related services. Best practices toward achieving a better CIS, include (1) enabling environment for partnership and communication; (2) capacity building; (3) assessment of needs and data gaps; (4) co-production and delivery of tailored products; and (5) iterative evaluation and improvement of products and services were emphasized during the presentation.
