The recently concluded Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) 2024 recognized the role of local government units in disaster risk mitigation and recovery, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Saturday.

LGUs’ participation can lessen property damage and loss of life during disasters, an environment official explained.

During a news forum in Quezon City, DENR Assistant Secretary Rochelle Gamboa said among the actionable initiatives identified by the APMCDRR is the strengthening of local policies to reduce the risks brought about by calamities.

“Again, ang sinabi po ni (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga at ng United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction Head na si His Excellency Kamal Kishore, ang sinabi po nila is that this battle will be won in the local levels, especially in cities which have the highest populations,” Gamboa told the forum.

“So, mga economic policies will have to be local-based ‘no para ang pagpaplano ng pagpapaunlad ang siyang magpapahusay ng kakayahan ng Pilipinas sa paghahanda, pagtugon at pag-recover sa mga kalamidad,” she said.

The climate conference also called for additional financial aid to high-risk areas not only for disaster response but also for prevention and recovery. It also urged stakeholders to focus on vulnerable sectors of society such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities, putting more attention on management strategies regarding disasters, and building LGU capacity to respond to disasters.

In terms of financing, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank are looking at ways to help LGUs work with their communities, particularly in coming up with financing schemes that would encourage local government officials to clear high-risk areas of informal settlers, Gamboa said.

This is in line with the Sendai Framework targeting to reduce per country disaster mortality of around 100,000 by 2030, she added. |PND