The University of the Philippines Los Baños Environmental Science Society (UPLB EnviSoc), in cooperation with the School of Environmental Science and Management (SESAM) hosted the 42nd Talakayan Series on Environment and Development (TSED) last 28 March 2019 at the SESAM grounds.

For this TSED, UPLB EnviSoc invited Dr. Sining Cuevas, consultant of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and an adjunct Professor of SESAM. Dr. Cuevas’ presentation entitled “The Interconnected Nature of the Challenges in Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation: Evidence from Local Land Use Planning”, tackled the many challenges that local government units (LGUs) faced in implementing adaptation and mitigation strategies in climate change.

Dr. Cuevas, a PhD in Climate Change Adaptation graduate from the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, mentioned that there is a lack of mechanism for the institutionalization of climate change programs in LGU level.

She added that the Mayors must appoint a focal person for the implementation of the climate change programs in the municipal level. The LGUs must create a Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (MDRRMO) regular position to lead the local DRRM and climate change initiatives. “Every LGU must have item position of MDRRMO, however most LGUS have reached the salary cap limit for personal services, thus the mayors just appoint somebody from the regular plantilla as an MDRRMO on a concurrent basis”, Dr. Cuevas stressed.

Other issues such as financial, institutional and political problems were also discussed. Dr. Cuevas also mentioned that another funding opportunity that LGUs can access to fund their DRRM projects is the People’s Survival Fund (PSF). However, she added that some LGUs don’t have the technical capability to prepare the supporting documents and comply with the requirements of the PSF.

More than 70 SESAM faculty, staff and students attended the 42nd TSED of the UPLB EnviSoc, which is led by their President, Mr. Louis Balbino U. Santos, MS Environmental Science student.