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IFC investing $500 million to address Philippines development challenges
The private sector arm of the World Bank Group is aiming to invest up to $500 million in the current fiscal year in the Philippines to support efforts to address climate change, financial inclusion and infrastructure development......»»
Philippine calls for stronger action on climate change
Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual has called for stronger sustainable trade and development initiatives to address climate change during the second ministerial meeting of the Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate on the sidelines of the 13th World Trade Organization ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates......»»
COP28 deal welcomed by businesses seeking climate clarity
Executives say governments must now work faster on their national plans to address climate change.....»»
For agrarian beneficiaries, secure land tenure is climate justice
Protecting agrarian beneficiaries through secure land tenure is climate justice, as it recognizes the disproportionate impacts of climate change on these vulnerable groups while also seeking solutions that address its root causes. The post For agrarian beneficiaries, secure land tenure is climate justice appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Marcos cancels COP28 trip as Red Sea hostage situation takes priority
Marcos, who has often mentioned the need to address climate change in his speeches, announced his last-minute decision to skip COP28 on X, formerly known as Twitter. .....»»
Marcos off to Dubai for climate change meet
President Marcos vowed to ask governments to make good their commitments on responding to climate change during the 28th climate conference in Dubai, saying the Philippines should take the lead in the global effort to address the problem......»»
Pope Francis to address COP28 summit in Dubai
Pope Francis is set become the first pope in history to address a global climate change conference......»»
EU, Phl eyes creating digital gateway pack
The European Union or EU and the Philippines are crafting a digital development program, set for launch next year to help the boost Internet speed and reach, strengthen cybersecurity, and integrate more women into the digital economy. On Thursday, the Department of Finance said the two partners, along with other countries, are creating the Digital Connectivity Global Gateway Package. “The package has key elements on capacity building, regulatory or policy support, cybersecurity, and enhanced cable connectivity,” a DoF statement said. “The package, which is being considered for launch next year, will also help address the digital gender gap in the country by empowering women in the digital economy,” the DoF added. Connectivity partnership This global partnership on digital connectivity was recently sealed during the first Global Gateway Forum hosted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen from 25 to 25 October in Brussels, Belgium. There were 40 government leaders who attended the forum, with Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno representing the Philippines. Global Gateway is the EU’s largest global investment program, with funding of up to 300 billion euros to be used by partner countries from 2021 to 2027 to improve their digital, energy, and transportation infrastructure, along with health and education systems. During the forum, the EU and the Philippines signed a 60 million euros financing agreement to help the latter realize projects for climate change mitigation and digital transformation. Under its digital program, the European Commission already committed in 2021 to provide all highly populated areas of the EU’s 27 member-states with faster Internet through 5G by 2030. Less than one-third of these areas benefited from that Internet technology two years ago. Expanding use of AI The commission also aims to expand the population of the EU’s small businesses using artificial intelligence and cloud from less than half to 75 percent, and those with basic technology skills from 75 percent to 100 percent over a decade. The Department of Information and Communications Technology, or DICT, on the other hand, is developing 500 to 1,000 digitalization programs. Information and Communications Technology Secretary Mon Gutierrez said the government is doubling its efforts to realize over 10 percent of its total number of digitalization programs through public-private partnerships. Also conducted by the DICT are digital literacy campaigns for government agencies, private firms and the public to spur technological innovations and better digital policies. The post EU, Phl eyes creating digital gateway pack appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
5 climate change adaptation projects worth P540.3M given the nod
The People’s Survival Fund Board approved at least five climate change adaptation projects, endorsed by the Climate Change Commission amounting to P540.3 million, geared toward increasing the adaptive capacity of local government units to climate change adaptation. Robert E.A. Borje, the CCC Vice-chairperson and executive director, welcomed the latest development in the country’s fight against climate change. “The PSF Board’s approval of these five projects signals a pivotal message on the value of advancing adaptation measures at the local and community level, especially at a time when risks and challenges posed by climate change demand immediate and urgent actions,” he underscored. Borje cited Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, the PSF board chairperson, for his leadership and commitment to advancing the objectives of the survival funds. “I also thanked the PSF Board members for their sustained effort and collaboration throughout the review and evaluation, and field validation exercises, which led to CCC endorsement and PSF Board’s project approvals,” he said. The submissions of LGUs from the PSF Board-issued Call for Proposals from February to April 2023 are included in the five projects. Borje said adaptation interventions to be implemented by LGUs include the establishment of climate field schools for farmers, flood protection, river ecosystem management, installation of solar-powered pumps, and mangrove rehabilitation. “With the benefits to be provided by these projects, the PSF will be able to demonstrate effective and sustainable practices on local climate actions, championing the resilience of the most vulnerable sectors to climate change,” he added. The PSF Board approved a Php 2-million Project Development Grant or PDG for the Municipality of Besao, Mountain Province to undertake project preparatory activities such as hydrological and geotechnical studies to establish the rationale of the LGU’s adaptation intervention. The projects’ approval enabled 17 LGUs to receive support from the PSF and its PDG. Among the previously approved projects are from Lanuza, Surigao del Sur; Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte; Gerona, Tarlac; Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte; Sarangani Province; and San Francisco, Camotes Island, Cebu. Borje noted that the CCC, in coordination with the Department of Finance, is working on further streamlining the accession of PSF through enhancement of the processes entailed by project proposals from submission until the approval stage. The PSF was institutionalized in 2012, through the Republic Act 10174, which amends the Climate Change Act of 2009—to include the provision of long-term finance streams to enable the government to effectively address the problem of climate change. It aims to enhance the resilience of communities and ecosystems to climate change. The CCC is likewise mandated to conduct the Climate Rationale Review and Evaluation or CRRE of project proposals submitted for PSF, convening the National Panel of Technical Experts to look into the climate rationale of projects. The CRRE process takes into consideration the historical and present data, ensuring that projects are fit-for-purpose and responsive to specific climate risks and vulnerabilities of an LGU. The post 5 climate change adaptation projects worth P540.3M given the nod appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl, Thailand vow closer collaboration on environmental conservation
Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga on Thursday said her department is reinforcing diplomatic ties with Thailand in advancing maritime and ecological management and protection. Loyzaga said she met with Tull Traisorat, Ambassador of Thailand to the Philippines, to explore areas of cooperation, capacity-building, and knowledge-sharing with regard to sustainability, greening highly urbanized areas, and natural resources conservation. The DENR chief and the Thai envoy both agreed to push forward with the Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, a $15-million project of the United Nations Environment Programme that aims to reduce coastal and marine environmental degradation in the region. Aside from Thailand and the Philippines, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam are also part of the ongoing program. It is the only agreed common vision among the participating countries on targets and actions for reversing environmental degradation trends in the South China Sea. Other points discussed covered regional environmental projects in the pipeline that address the management of marine protected areas, nature-based solutions to improve local community livelihoods and climate change adaptation, and the promotion of resource efficiency and circularity to reduce plastic pollution. On top of closer bilateral cooperation on sustainability and environmental conservation, the two Southeast Asians have committed to bolstering trade and investment as well as military ties. The post Phl, Thailand vow closer collaboration on environmental conservation appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PBBM wants agenda to address global challenges as he signs UNSDCF
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for a "transformative agenda" to address global challenges and bridge divides as he signed a new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework on Tuesday. The UNSDCF is a five-year plan to guide the UN's development activities in the Philippines from 2024 to 2028. It is aligned with the Philippine government's eight-point socio-economic agenda, the Philippine Development Plan, and Ambisyon Natin. In his speech at the signing ceremony in Malacañan, Marcos said that the UNSDCF is "oriented to support Philippine government policies and priorities embodied in the eight-point socio-economic agenda, the Philippine development plan, and Ambisyon Natin." He added that the UNSDCF "enjoins us and agencies in the government's determined pursuit of the highest aspirations of our people." Marcos said that the Philippines looks forward to "vigorous engagements and key issues that bear on the future of our communities, including food security, education, climate action, decent work, digital transformation, and disaster risk reduction." He also invited new approaches to help promote innovation driven by climate-smart and sustainable growth at all levels. Marcos said that the Philippines is also fostering access to green financing, lasting peace, and better public services across the archipelago. "With the UN delivering as one fully cognizant of the Philippine needs and context and the voices of its partners including civil society, our partnership can be a catalyst for the accomplishment of our shared goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," he said. Marcos also noted that the UNSDCF is among the first of its kind under the reformed UN development system. "Our collaboration will showcase the best and finest the UN development system can offer the world with programs that provide solutions and a far-reaching impact and provide good models of co-ownership, transparency, and accountability," he said. Marcos said that the UNSDCF brings with it not only the legacies of the Philippines' constructive and long-standing engagement with the UN, but also signifies the country's role in shaping more inclusive and effective multilateral institutions that embrace and bring tangible results to all. He added that the UNSDCF also acknowledges how the Philippines' best practices and experience can help the achievement of the SDG agenda elsewhere through South-South cooperation platforms. Marcos said that the UN recognizes that peacebuilding milestones in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao offer valuable insight for peacemaking across the world. He added that the Philippines' advocacies in the Indo-Pacific and in the global arena for the rule of law and a peaceful settlement of disputes also provide opportunities for a more substantive engagement with the UN. "These noble aspects of the UNSDCF show how our partnership has evolved. It is now infused with a more mature-looking synergy of efforts serving the interests of both the Philippines and the United Nations as we work for a safer and more prosperous world," Marcos said. He added that it is "truly fitting that we embark on this new journey together as we celebrate the founding of the UN 78 years ago." "This daunting and profound enterprise of making our collaboration deliver meaningful change and transformation on the ground lies before us," Marcos said. "I look forward to hearing many more success stories in the Philippines-UN partnership under this cooperation framework," Marcos added......»»
Humans increasingly settling in high-risk flood zones, study warns
Humans are increasingly settling in areas highly exposed to dangerous flooding, a study warned Wednesday, with China helping drive the rise in risky urban expansion into exposed areas. The research, led by a World Bank economist, warns that settlement growth in flood zones has vastly outpaced growth in safe areas since 1985. "In a time when human settlements should be adapting to climate change, many countries are actually rapidly increasing their exposure to floods," author Jun Rentschler told AFP. The study analysed 30 years of satellite imagery tracking the expansion of human settlement globally, along with flood maps. While past studies have tended to focus on a particular region or type of flooding, the new research looked worldwide at coastal, rainfall and river flooding risks. It found that by 2015, 20 percent of all settlement areas were in zones with medium or higher flood risks, up from 17.9 percent three decades earlier. The percentage rise might not seem substantial, but it represents an enormous area because of how quickly human settlement has expanded globally since 1985. About 76,400 square kilometres (29,500 square miles) of human settlement -- about 48 times the size of greater London -- now faces flooding of more than half a metre, Rentschler said. "These expanding settlements in high-hazard areas lock in flood exposure, as well as future losses and the need for mounting flood-protection investments," the paper published in Nature warns. East Asia and the Pacific region are among the most exposed, driven particularly by urban expansion in China, as well as Vietnam and Bangladesh. "In Vietnam, where almost one-third of the coastline is now built up, the safest and most productive locations are increasingly occupied," the authors wrote. "Thus, new developments are disproportionately forced onto hazardous land and previously avoided areas, such as riverbeds or floodplains." 'Authorities can do much more' The analysis does not incorporate potential increases in flood risks caused by climate change, deforestation or changes to features such as riverbeds. But Rentschler said there was little evidence flood zones were expanding at a rate similar to human settlement in known risk areas, suggesting settlement patterns remain the key factor for policymakers to address. The research does not distinguish between flood zones in countries with strong protections, such as the Netherlands, and those without. "There are large differences in flood protection systems, especially when comparing high- and low-income countries," Rentschler acknowledged. "However, in this study we consider relatively rare and intense flood scenarios, against which even most high-income countries cannot provide full protection," he said. Climate change increases the risk of devastating flooding, because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, making rain events potentially more powerful. That has meant flood events once considered likely just every hundred years or so are now increasingly common. Rentschler argues understanding the settlement trend should be the first step in shifting urbanisation policies. "This is where you want to start: before reducing risks, countries need to stop increasing it," he said. "Local authorities can actually do much more to protect people and prevent future climate change impacts." The post Humans increasingly settling in high-risk flood zones, study warns appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan sees hottest September since records began
Japan has seen its hottest September since records began 125 years ago, the weather agency said, in a year expected to be the warmest in human history. The scorching September's average temperature was 2.66 degrees Celsius higher than usual, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on Monday. This was "the highest figure since the start of statistics in 1898", the agency said in a statement. This year is expected to be the hottest in human history as climate change accelerates, with countries including Austria, France, Germany, Poland and Switzerland each announcing their warmest September on record. Across Japan last month, 101 of 153 observation locations broke an average temperature record, including in Tokyo, with an all-time high of 26.7 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit), in Osaka with 27.9C and in Nagoya with 27.3C. The average temperature jump of 2.66C was "extraordinary" and "easily topped previous highs", weather agency official Masayuki Hirai told AFP on Tuesday. "If this is not an abnormally high temperature, I don't know what is," he said. French weather authority Meteo-France said the September temperature average in the country will be around 21.5 degrees Celsius, between 3.5C and 3.6C above the 1991-2020 reference period. The UK, too, has matched its record for the warmest September since its records began in 1884. The average global temperature in June, July and August was 16.77 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous 2019 record, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said in a report. In September, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told world leaders the climate crisis had "opened the gates to hell". In his opening address at the Climate Ambition Summit, Guterres evoked this year's "horrendous heat" but stressed: "We can still limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees," referring to the target seen as needed to avoid long-term climate catastrophe. The post Japan sees hottest September since records began appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NDRRMC targets more durable, resilient evacuation centers
The government is considering the establishment of more durable and resilient evacuation centers nationwide as proposed by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to further enhance the country’s evacuation system. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who also chairs the NDRRMC, convened the council’s member agencies in a third-quarter meeting in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Thursday night. Teodoro said the council should focus on strengthening the disaster risk reduction and management as well as the adoption of “best practices for public interest.” “One of the highlights of the discussion was the status and enhanced design of evacuation centers. It can be recalled that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stressed the importance of building resilient evacuation centers in his last State of the Nation Address to ensure the safety of the public in times of emergency,” the NDRRMC said in a statement released on Friday. The Office of Civil Defense and the Department of Public Works and Highways are looking into the proposal to improve the design of evacuation centers, including the prioritization mechanism through risk-based assessments. During the meeting, the council members also tackled considerations and updates on location and site suitability, structural and building capacity, and minimum standards on design and conceptual sketches. The NDRRMC noted that the proposed improved design of the evacuation center is still subject to finalization by concerned government agencies. The council also tackled and approved amendments to NDRRMC Memorandum Circular No. 64, s. 2021 or the Guidelines on the Accreditation and Protection of Community Disaster Volunteers; Memorandum Circular on the Guidelines on Mainstreaming DRRM in Health in Local Development; and the proposed revision on Memorandum Circular no. 110, s.2021 or the Revised Guidelines on the Administration of the NDRRM Fund. The enhanced guidelines tackled during the meeting will be disseminated to concerned stakeholders for implementation. A report from Climate Change Knowledge Portal for Development Practitioners and Policy Makers showed that some 19 to 20 typhoons enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility yearly, with 7-9 making landfall. Hence, several lawmakers pushed for the legislation of measures that aim to enhance the country’s evacuation system. Senate Bill 1652, or An Act establishing evacuation centers nationwide, filed by Senator Raffy Tulfo, seeks the establishment of evacuation centers in 146 cities and 1,488 municipalities nationwide. Under the proposed measure, these evacuation centers must have basic facilities, accessible locations, and adequate emergency supplies, such as water, medicine, and relief goods considering that the Philippines is one of the most typhoon-prone countries in the world. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also filed SB 940, or the Evacuation Center Act”, which seeks to establish evacuation centers in all cities nationwide. SB 940 provides that each location for every evacuation center shall be determined by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, in close coordination with the local government units concerned, and must be centrally located in the community. It must also be at a safe distance from large trees and structures with hazardous materials, must be near a health facility, must be located on geotechnically stable land, and must not be located near military base camps and camps of insurgent groups. The post NDRRMC targets more durable, resilient evacuation centers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bersamin: Marcos ‘carefully considering’ permanent DA chief
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is considering delegating the Department of Agriculture to someone else, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said on Thursday. Bersamin said that Marcos is aware that he probably needs a regular secretary to head the DA, especially given the numerous issues facing the agriculture sector. "But I think he's carefully considering who should be the agriculture secretary because the agriculture portfolio has a lot of issues," Bersamin said in an interview with Anthony Taberna. Bersamin said that he does not have any information yet on who Marcos favors, but he believes the President is on his way to making a decision. "He can't just leave it in the hands of people who can't decide quickly on a regular secretary. So I do not like to second-guess the President," Bersamin said. When asked if there is a shortlist of candidates, Bersamin said that there may be one, but he did not elaborate. Bersamin also said that Marcos has been thinking about delegating the DA portfolio for a while now and has been receiving advice from many people on the matter. "Some are also suggesting that it's time for him to delegate it to someone else so he can concentrate on other needs of the country," Bersamin said. However, Bersamin said that he believes that the advice that Marcos should still be the one to head the DA carries more weight. Marcos has been serving as the concurrent DA secretary since he assumed office in June 2022. The agriculture sector is facing a number of challenges, including rising food prices, supply chain disruptions and the effects of climate change. Marcos has pledged to make agriculture a top priority of his administration and has announced a number of measures to address the challenges facing the sector, such as increasing investments in agriculture, providing support to farmers and developing new technologies. The post Bersamin: Marcos ‘carefully considering’ permanent DA chief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
World Bank chief vows to tackle ‘dysfunctionality’ at development lender
World Bank President Ajay Banga said Tuesday that he is working to reform "dysfunctionality" in the boardroom of the development lender, and pledged to refocus its mission to better address the challenges posed by climate change. The former Mastercard chief executive told the Council on Foreign Relations in New York that the bank should alter its current twin mandate of poverty alleviation and boosting shared prosperity to include climate change. "I think the twin goals have to change to being elimination of poverty, but on a livable planet, because of the intertwined nature of our crises," he said. He added that he was working to redefine the World Bank's business around what he called five key knowledge "verticals": people, prosperity, planet, infrastructure, and digital. Fixing the plumbing Banga, an Indian-born naturalized US citizen, was nominated to lead the World Bank earlier this year by President Joe Biden and began his new role in June. The bank has historically been led by an American, while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been run by a European -- a controversial arrangement that has existed since the two institutions were founded in the aftermath of the Second World War. Banga has already made a number of changes to the bank's management since taking over, setting up a new 15-person private sector advisory board, and pledging deeper cooperation with regional development banks to tackle shared challenges. On Tuesday, Banga vowed to "fix the plumbing" at the bank, which he said suffered from "dysfunctionality" in the boardroom. The World Bank's board is made up of 25 executive directors appointed by its 189 member countries, who must balance the interests of the development lender with those of the states they represent. "I want people to say when I’m gone that I left the bank working much better than when I got it, because then my successor will not have to deal with what I’m dealing with," he said. Climate change Proposals to reform the World Bank's balance sheet from countries including the US and Saudi Arabia could add as much as $125 billion in extra lending capacity if they come to pass, Banga told the audience in New York. This would be a significant increase for the development lender, which mobilized just over $100 billion in financing last year. Banga has previously called on the World Bank to collaborate more closely with the private sector to meet the enormous costs associated with climate change mitigation and adaptation. On Tuesday, Banga said the bank should carefully target where it wants to encourage private investment to help cap carbon emissions in order to have the biggest impact. "We need to focus on 10 countries where the growth of emissions will be so high if we don't change to renewables that all the work we do in the developed world to reduce the use of emission-heavy energy will be lost," he said, without naming them. These middle-income countries are states "where there is some hope for the private sector, both in terms of scalable models and the like, that renewable energy could make money," he added. In order to invite the private sector to participate, the World Bank should offer to manage some of the political risks associated with climate-related investments in these countries, along with the risk of currency fluctuations, Banga said. The World Bank group already has a political risk agency, but the foreign exchange risk is an issue that still needs to be resolved, he told the audience in New York. "That's the way to involve the private sector," he added. The post World Bank chief vows to tackle ‘dysfunctionality’ at development lender appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
World Bank chief pledges to reform ‘dysfunctional’ development lender
World Bank President Ajay Banga said Tuesday that he is working to reform the "dysfunctional" development lender, and pledged to refocus its mission to better address the challenges posed by climate change. The former Mastercard chief executive told the Council on Foreign Relations in New York that the bank should alter its current twin mandate of poverty alleviation and boosting shared prosperity to include climate change. "I think the twin goals have to change to being elimination of poverty, but on a livable planet, because of the intertwined nature of our crises," he said. He added that he was working to redefine the World Bank's business around what he called five key "verticals": people, prosperity, planet, infrastructure and digital. Fixing the plumbing Banga, an Indian-born naturalized US citizen, was nominated to lead the World Bank earlier this year by President Joe Biden, and began his new role in June. The bank has historically been led by an American, while the IMF has been run by a European -- a controversial arrangement that has existed since the two institutions were founded in the aftermath of the second World War. Banga has already made a number of changes to the bank's management since taking over, setting up a new 15-person private sector advisory board, and pledging deeper cooperation with regional development banks to tackle shared challenges. On Tuesday, Banga vowed to "fix the plumbing" at the bank, which he called a "dysfunctional" institution. "I want people to say when I’m gone that I left the bank working much better than when I got it, because then my successor will not have to deal with what I’m dealing with," he said. Climate change Proposals to reform the World Bank's balance sheet from countries including the US and Saudi Arabia could add as much as $125 billion in extra lending capacity if they come to pass, Banga told the audience in New York. This would be a significant increase for the development lender, which mobilized just over $100 billion in financing last year. Banga has previously called on the World Bank to collaborate more closely with the private sector to meet the enormous costs associated with climate change mitigation and adaptation. On Tuesday, Banga said the bank should carefully target where it wants to encourage private investment to help cap carbon emissions in order to have the biggest impact. "We need to focus on 10 countries where the growth of emissions will be so high if we don't change to renewables that all the work we do in the developed world to reduce the use of emission-heavy energy will be lost," he said, without naming them. These middle-income countries are states "where there is some hope for the private sector, both in terms of scalable models and the like, that renewable energy could make money," he added. In order to invite the private sector to participate, the World Bank should offer to manage some of the political risks associated with climate-related investments in these countries, along with the risk of currency fluctuations, Banga said. The World Bank group already has a political risk agency, but the foreign exchange risk is an issue that still needs to be resolved, he told the audience in New York. "That's the way to involve the private sector," he added. The post World Bank chief pledges to reform ‘dysfunctional’ development lender appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden recognizes two Pacific nations in move to counter China
President Joe Biden said the United States officially recognized the Pacific nations of Cook Islands and Niue Monday, as he hosted regional leaders in a bid to wrest influence from China. The announcement came at the start of a summit with the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum, where US officials said the president was announcing a more assertive American stance in the region. Biden said in statements that Washington recognized the Cook Islands and Niue as "sovereign and independent" states and would establish diplomatic relations with both. The move would help maintain a "free and open Indo-Pacific region," said Biden. Biden added that the deals to recognize the two nations would also help curb illegal fishing, deal with climate change in a vulnerable region and boost economic growth. The Cook Islands and Niue together have fewer than 20,000 inhabitants but constitute a sprawling economic zone in the South Pacific. Both are self-governing nations in "free association" with New Zealand, meaning that their foreign and defense policies are in varying degrees linked to Wellington. After decades of being treated as a relative backwater, the South Pacific has become an important arena for competition between the United States and an increasingly assertive China. China has dramatically ramped up its economic, political and military footprint in the strategic ocean region. 'Assertiveness' There is "no question that there is some role that the PRC has played in all this," a senior White House official said on condition of anonymity, referring to China by the abbreviation of its formal name. China's "assertiveness and influence, including in this region, has been a factor that requires us to sustain our strategic focus." The forum brings together states and territories scattered across the Pacific Ocean, from Australia to sparsely populated micro-states and archipelagos. But China's influence will be felt through the absence of the prime minister of the Solomon Islands, now closely aligned with Beijing. Manasseh Sogavare, who was in New York last week to attend the UN General Assembly, did not extend his stay in the United States. "We're disappointed that he's chosen not to come to this very special summit," another White House official said. Biden had been due to follow up last year's inaugural summit with a meeting of Pacific leaders this May, in Papua New Guinea. But he cut short an Asia trip and returned stateside to address a debt-ceiling crisis. For the Washington summit, Biden has prepared a full program, kicking off with an afternoon of American football on Sunday. The leaders traveled by train to Baltimore, where they were guests of honor at an NFL game between the port city's Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts. Monday's agenda features meetings and a lunch with Biden. On Tuesday, the leaders will meet with top officials on climate and the economy, and spend time with US lawmakers. The post Biden recognizes two Pacific nations in move to counter China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden to host Pacific Island leaders next week
US President Joe Biden will host the leaders of Pacific Island nations at the White House on Monday, his spokeswoman said, as Washington tries to counter Chinese influence in the region. Biden will "reaffirm the US commitment to our shared regional priorities," including climate change, economic growth and countering illegal fishing, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Tuesday. The meeting comes four months after Biden was forced to scrap a historic visit to a summit of the Pacific Island Forum in Papua New Guinea, due to talks to avoid a US debt default. Biden hosted his first summit with the forum -- an 18-member bloc of mostly small states scattered across a huge swath of ocean -- last year at the White House. The South Pacific was seen as a relative diplomatic backwater after World War II, but it is an increasingly important arena for powers to compete for commercial, political and military influence. The Biden administration has particularly been pushing to boost its presence there against a rising China, which is itself keen to get a strategic toe-hold in the South Pacific. During this year's meeting, Biden will hear from leaders on "how we can increase cooperation to address the mounting challenges of our time," Jean-Pierre said. As well as being at the center of a superpower tussle, the region is also badly affected by rising sea levels due to climate change. Biden told the UN General Assembly earlier Tuesday that he wanted to "responsibly manage the competition" between the United States and China "so it does not tip into conflict." The post Biden to host Pacific Island leaders next week appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Climate change, deforestation imperil medicinal trees, plants
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (DENR-ERDB), the principal research arm and thinktank of the DENR, led the conduct of the ASEAN Conference on Medicinal Forest Trees in Pampanga, citing the huge potential of medicinal trees for the health and wellness of Filipinos. Some 117 participants from the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan took part in the three-day conference last week where experts underscored the need to implement active conservation efforts to protect and propagate medicinal plants amidst climate change and other threats, noting that the country has yet to maximize the economic value of medicinal plants. Maria Lourdes G. Ferrer, ERDB director, said forest species studies reveal interconnected relationships between nature and human health used by indigenous people worldwide for disease treatment. Ferrer said there is a need to gather and preserve indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants and medicinal forest trees given their benefits and potential for economic activity. "As we embark on this intellectual journey, let us remember that our discoveries have the potential to touch lives, alleviate suffering, and shape the course of healthcare and medicinal forest tree species conservation," Ferrer said. For his part, ERDB Assistant Director Conrado B. Marquez said habitat protection through active management of forests, and governance with the appropriate funding allocation are vital for medicinal forest trees to adapt and become resilient to climate change. Marquez said the ERDB is mandated to develop protocols on propagation and plantation development and management. "We are working now on a technology called tree fortification. We are trying to fortify trees in a manner that will make them more resilient to pests and to add to the viability and manageability of particular tree species," Marquez said. The objective of tree fortification is to protect threatened tree species and increase their population. The ERDB is also doing other vegetative propagation measures such as cloning to address the scarcity of species. Dr. Pastor Malabrigo Jr., professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, said that based on the database of medicinal species in the country 456 tree species have known medicinal value. "We have 3,500 tree species. It's safe to assume that we are underutilizing our plant resources. There are rare, threatened species, the public is not familiar with, which are not being used. We have to give attention to these," Malabrigo said. He encouraged the event poster presenters to publish their research on medicinal plants for people to recognize these and increase public awareness. The post Climate change, deforestation imperil medicinal trees, plants appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»