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Monday, February 17, 2025

DENR boosting climate actions to counter risks

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reiterated its commitment to accelerate its climate action, notably through reforestation, multi-purpose water facilities and investments in both green and gray infrastructure.

DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga said last week the government was accelerating its efforts on disaster risk reduction, air quality monitoring and integrated water resource management to offset the effects of climate change. The initiatives include pollution management, promoting clean energy and improving water accessibility.

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Loyzaga bared the government’s drive during the opening of the 2nd Philippine-Japan Environment Week, saying the the partnership with Japan marked another milestone in addressing shared environmental challenges.

The Philippines and Japan have vowed to explore areas of cooperation on climate change and speed up climate action, including optimizing opportunities in green and gray infrastructure.

“This event is a testament to our commitment that we formalized in our Memorandum of Cooperation which we signed in December of 2023. This embodied the enduring friendship and shared ambition of our two nations to achieve mutual prosperity, sustainable development, and regional stability through a rules-based international order,” Loyzaga said.

The event was attended by Japan’s Minister of Environment, Kobayashi Fumiaki, and Japan’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Endo Kazuya, as well as various stakeholders.

Loyzaga outlined the key areas of collaboration between the two nations, including climate change adaptation and mitigation, pollution management, clean energy and water accessibility.

She said these areas will be discussed throughout the three-day event, exploring concrete opportunities while tackling some of the most pressing environmental challenges faced by the two countries.

Loyzaga noted the country’s progress in enhancing its monitoring, reporting, and verification systems to better engage in carbon markets.

She shared updates on the DENR’s work on disaster risk reduction, air quality monitoring and integrated water resource management.

She said the Philippines is currently working on over 200 water projects aimed at improving water supply for underserved populations while enhancing water security for agriculture and industry.

The DENR chief reiterated the country’s commitment to advancing a circular economy by enhancing compliance with the extended producers’ responsibility in terms of waste management, with a focus on plastic pollution management and marine litter.

She reported the DENR action on tackling hazardous chemical management by initiating bans on high-impact substances like lead in paints, asbestos, and mercury-containing products.

As an archipelagic nation, the Philippines shares with Japan the unique challenges and opportunities of managing ocean resources.

For the Philippines, she said marine science stations would be established across the country’s marine biogeographic areas aimed at advancing scientific research and the sustainable management of ocean environments.

On biodiversity conservation, Loyzaga reiterated the DENR’s full commitment to the implementation of the global biodiversity framework, addressing biodiversity loss, restoring ecosystems and protecting indigenous peoples and local communities.

“We have adopted an ecosystem-based approach to identify, map, secure, observe, monitor and evaluate the state of our terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems,” she said.

“Their health… allows the flow of natural resources and ecosystem services as inputs to inclusive, resilient,and sustainable development. We are now investing in our blue future.” PNA

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