THE Philippines is the venue of an international conference
on climate change set to be held in Manila on Feb. 19-20.
The "International Conference on Biodiversity and Climate
Change in Southeast Asia: Adaptation and Mitigation" is expected to be attended
by about 100 scientists, government officials, members of the academe, industry,
development assistance agencies, and other stakeholders from at least 20
countries in Southeast Asia and other parts of the world.
It will be co-organized by the Los Baños-based Southeast
Asian Ministers of Education Organization-Regional Center for Graduate Study and
Research in Agriculture (SEAMEO-SEARCA) through its Philippine-Netherlands
"Biodiversity Research Program for the Development in Mindanao: Focus on Mt.
Malindang and its Environs", ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB), World
Agroforestry Center (WAC), Biodiversity International (BI), and Siliman
University (SU) in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.
The conference will serve as a forum for the presentation and
communication of research results on the impact of climate change on
biodiversity in Southeast Asia, and how to mitigate and change.
It will also identify the elements of a feasible regional
research-for development program on biodiversity and climate change by
determining governance, institutional issues, and research gaps related to these
pressing concerns.
It will also impart adaptation policies, measures,
strategies, and best practices on climate change for biodiversity conservation.
Further, it will seek to draw interest and commitment of
participating experts and potential partners in crafting a program on the topic,
marketing it to possible donors, and possibly getting involved in its future
implementation. Representatives of the donor community are expected to share
their perspective on supporting research and development efforts on biodiversity
and climate change in Southeast Asia.
Regional and global perspectives on biodiversity and climate change and their
relation to the United Nations-Millennium Development Goals (MDG) will also be
discussed.
