An official of the Climate Change Commission (CCC) on Saturday called for a “whole country effort” to carry out the Philippines’ national adaptation plan (NAP) to minimize risks related to climate change and its impacts.

In a news forum in Quezon City, CCC Assistant Secretary Rommel Cuenca reported that the Philippines has submitted its NAP to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Cuenca said the NAP integrates climate change adaptation into policies, programs, and activities within all relevant sectors, necessitating a whole-of-country approach that involves not only the CCC, but all national government agencies, the private sector, science organizations, the academe, and local governments.

“Sa lahat ng mga sektor na iyan – private sector, academe, national government – may kaniya-kaniyang plano iyan para sa kaniya-kaniyang mandato (In all sectors – private sector, academe, national government – they each have plans based on their respective mandate). The National Adaptation Plan will allow us to make sure that all these plans are guided and aligned and integrated so that it becomes a whole-of-country effort and not just panukala lang iyan ni (a proposal of the) Climate Change Commission,” Cuenca said.

The NAP aims to reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change by building adaptive capacity and resilience and facilitating the integration of climate change adaptation into policies and programs.

“Adaptive capacity is the ability of a community, a region, a city, a country to be able to reduce the harm and to exploit the benefits that can come out of adaptation action,” he said.

He said the NAP seeks to identify priority high-risk, climate change-vulnerable areas of the Philippines.

It also provides guidance on integrating adaptation considerations into planning, coordination, and implementation processes at all levels of government and across society, as well as harmonizes national strategies with international commitments.

Cuenca cited the need to identify the sectors involved, the areas of the country that are highly vulnerable to climate change, and the risks of climate change. (PNA)