December 13, 2022 – The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) VIII and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH conducted a kick-off workshop for the Strengthening Disaster Resilience and Risk Mitigation through Ecosystem-based Planning and Adaptation (E4DR) Project on 13-14 December 2022 at the XYZ Hotel, Tacloban City. The GIZ is the agency commissioned by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany to implement the project.
The E4DR Project, funded through the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection (BMUV), aims to institutionalize sustainable disaster risk management in Eastern Visayas through the explicit use of ecosystem-based adaptation and climate insurance. Said project amounting to EUR5.5 million or PhP322.4 million will end on 30 September 2025.
In her welcome remarks, NEDA VIII Regional Director Meylene C. Rosales emphasized the project’s importance in strengthening the disaster resilience of Eastern Visayas, especially that the region is one of the most calamity-prone areas in the country. She underscored the importance of the participation of the provincial Local Government Units (LGUs) as the project’s prospective beneficiaries. Meanwhile, GIZ Principal Advisor Andrea Teran conveyed her appreciation to the participants and shared that the E4DR project aims to build on Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) works in the region and mainstream it to be sustainable.
The workshop outputs, namely: the stakeholders map, regional steering structure, annual plan for 2023, and the selection criteria for the project sites were presented to the Regional Land Use Committee (RLUC) VIII during its Second Semester 2022 Meeting on 14 December 2022. The RLUC VIII, through a resolution, accepted the role as the Regional Steering Committee of the project. It also endorsed the stakeholders map for the concurrence of the concerned stakeholders, and approved the 2023 work plan and the site selection criteria.
A total of 36 participants from the LGUs and RLUC VIII attended the workshop.
Article by: Ana Rose R. Magdalaga, PFPD
Photos by: Geselle Frances P. Zeta, PFPD
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The National Economic and Development Authority is the country’s premier socioeconomic planning body, highly regarded as the authority in macroeconomic forecasting and policy analysis and research. It provides high-level advice to policymakers in Congress and the Executive Branch.
