Climate Change Secretary Urges Academe to Link Science to Policy and Practice

“There is a need to link science, policy and practice in the context of climate action” said, Mr. Emmanuel De Guzman, Secretary and Vice-Chairperson, Climate Change Commission (CCC), during his keynote speech at the 2nd  International Conference on Climate Change Research and Development and 6th National Climate Research Conference held at the New College of Arts and Sciences Auditorium, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).

Sec. de Guzman stressed that the CCC wants to ensure all climate change programs are mainstreamed to national, local and sectoral plans to establish climate-resilient and climate-smart communities.

The conference is a joint activity of the National Academy of Science and Technology-Department of Science and Technology (NAST-DOST), UPLB, CCC, Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), Oscar M. Lopez Center (OMLC), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Studies and Research for Agriculture (SEAMEO-SEARCA).

With the theme “Linking Science and Policies
to Climate and Disaster Risks Management“, the conference aims to further enhance the scientific learning ground and practical exchange platform for sharing expertise, practices, and experiences on climate change and disaster actions that will benefit communities, the government, industries, the academe, and other key sectors involved in nation-building.

Dr. Renato Solidum, Undersecretary for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change and Director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), DOST, elaborated the importance of knowing the climate issues and further developing strategies to combat the harsh effects of climate change. “Let us develop more technologies for climate change mitigation and adaptation” Dr. Solidum said.

In his message, Dr. William Padolina, NAST, echoed the statement of Sec. de Guzman regarding the importance of the collaboration of science and policy in climate change. Other NAST Academicians also present were Drs. Rafael Guerero, Eliezer Albacea, Guillermo Tabios III and Ceferino Maala.

Dr. Felino P. Lansigan, co-chair of the UPLB Climate and Disaster Risk Studies Center (CDRSC), said this conference is in-line with the center’s motto “finding solutions towards resilient communities”. UPLB students, faculty and staff attended this conference, as well as representatives from the national government agencies, local government Units (LGUs) and international research organization. Various papers and posters were presented during the plenary and parallel sessions.

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