Climate change body partners converge to enhance advocacy

The Climate Change Commission (CCC) and several non-governmental organizations are partnering to help improve public awareness and action on the impacts of climate change.
On Monday, such partners opened in Metro Manila a workshop on updating modules that such faith-based anddevelopment organizations use in their respective climate change education and information campaigns nationwide.
”Organizations concerned will integrate into their respective existing modules latest available climate change data presented during the workshop,” said Raylemuel Crisaldo, who’s coordinator of Micah Challenge Philippines, the country-specific campaign mobilizing Christians in the advocacy against poverty.
The workshop is among the activities lined up by the CCC for this year’s observance of the annual National Climate Change Consciousness Week (NCCCW) from Nov. 19 to 25.
”Faith-based and development organizations aim enhancing their respective modules as climate change affects communities where these groups conduct poverty alleviation initiatives,” Crisaldo said.
He noted that climate change can wipe out gains from such initiatives.
“Weather extremes spell disaster,” he said.
Authorities also earlier pointed out patterns of persisting poverty coincide with areas of high climatic variability.
Aside from affecting poverty alleviation efforts, authorities warned climate change also negatively impacts on the bid for environmental sustainability.
Addressing poverty and achieving environmental sustainability are among the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for 2015.
The MDGs also cover universal education, gender equality, child health, maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS and global partnerships.
Meeting the MDGs is among Micah Challenge’s advocacies.
“We aim better linking efforts of civil society and government on this,” Crisaldo said.
He noted Micah Challenge requested CCC’s assistance on identifying possible areas of collaboration on the matter.
“Organizations concerned work with communities so suchpossibilities abound,” he said.
Crisaldo is optimistic that enhancing the modules will help better engage the communities in climate change adaptation and mitigation.