Climate discussions with youth through art

AS part of a larger effort to bring arts, culture and youth engagement into climate discussions, the second “Poets for Climate” exhibit was held recently at the University of Makati.

The exhibit featured selected poems and artworks depicting how the climate crisis is undoing and transforming the landscapes and places on earth.

Titled, “The Making and Unmaking of Places: Stories of Loss, Resilience and Restoration Using Poetry and Art,” the exhibit was curated by The Climate Reality Project Philippines in partnership with the government of Makati City and the British Embassy Manila. It ran at the University of Makati until February 24.

The exhibit was an off-shoot of Poets for Climate, a collaborative project between the Climate Reality Project branches in Africa, Canada, and the Philippines in response to When Is Now.”

It was a global art movement initiated by the Agam Agenda that links together poems, visual arts, murals and more forms of creative expressions that reflect people’s lived experiences of climate change.

The exhibit followed the first Poets for Climate exhibit hosted by Makati City and the British Embassy Manila in October 2022 at the Makati City Hall, and the two Poets for Climate e xpositions s taged by Climate Reality Philippines with Climate Reality Indonesia and the Climate Vulnerable Forum

(CVF) at the sidelines of the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, in November 2022.

“We couldn’t have asked for a more fitting next stop—the University of Makati, which is home to creative young Filipinos bearing an unprecedented potential as genuine advocates for climate action,” said Nazrin Castro, manager of Climate Reality Philippines Branch, during the opening of the exhibit.

“Through Poets for Climate, we want you—the youth—to feel empowered not just in communicating the urgency and the solvability of the climate crisis but also in demanding our leaders to do right for the planet and the future of your generation,”

Castro said.

Alistair White, Chargé d’affaires at the British Embassy Manila, thanked Climate Reality Philippines, Agam Agenda, and the CVF for promoting arts and storytelling as a platform to amplify the voices of the most vulnerable to climate change.

“The future of young people is tied to the future of the planet,”White said, emphasizing the critical role of the youth in climate action. “A part of our broader and longer-term effort is to drive the collaboration between the different climate and environmental stakeholders and that’s why we’re here today.

That’s why this collaboration is so important for the present and the future,” he shared.

Carissa Pobre, Strategist

for Creative improve governance and management responsiveness and capacities in integrated water resources management, reduce nutrient pollution loading, protect environmental flows and alleviate climate vulnerability through the promotion of integrated river basin management in priority river basins in six Asean countries.

Through the project, the proponents aim to conduct baseline assessments, such as biophysical profiles, socio-economic demographic forecasts, governance and management arrangements, pollutant loadings and sources to develop State of River Basin reports.

“We will also conduct pilot IRBM projects to improve governance and management, do feasibility studies, business plan, financing and improve interagency and multisector coordination,” she said.

Ultimately, she said the project’s objective is to enhance policies and economic incentives, develop IRBM strategy and action plan, knowledge management and enabling capacities on water quality, monitoring, reporting, develop IRBM practitioners, document and share good players, and SouthSouth learning exchange.

Key result areas

THE proponents also identified key result areas that include state of river basin reports, integrated river basin management plans, potential blended financing and investments on integrated solid waste management facilities in pilot sites within river basins, and integrated information management systems, including water quality river monitoring systems in river basins.

The project also hopes to create a network of IRBM learning centers and

Communication of the Agam Agenda, also highlighted the role of collaboration in climate action during the launch of the exhibit.

Explaining the concept behind W hen Is Now and how Poets for Climate has fed into the campaign, Pobre said, “We are seeding specific stories from specific places—places like Guiuan in [Eastern] Samar that responded to a particular contribution of poetry from a poet from Guam for instance. Here, Climate Reality Leaders and advocates responded to these various stories.” trained IRBM practitioners in six Asean member-states.

Pobre shared that besides Climate Reality, When Is Now is also supported by 58 vulnerable countries of the CVF.

Affirming the city government’s continuous support to the fight for climate justice, Makati City Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo, meanwhile, said that Makati City is proud to continue hosting Poets for Climate.

“The power of art lies in its ability to bring people together to reflect, discuss, and take action. This exhibit will be an inspiring reminder to all of us that building a better future with collective action is possible,” she said during the launch.

Dr. Elyxzur Ramos, president of the University of Makati, also expressed appreciation for the opportunity to host the exhibit. “We hope that our students and other stakeholders in this university will have a greater appreciation of the efforts that you are doing to promote awareness about climate change,” he said.

Six river basins have been identified as pilot sites. They are: Cambodia: Kampong Bay River Basin and pilot site Kampot City; Indonesia: Ciliwung River Basin and Depok City; Lao PDR: Nam Tha River Basin and Sedone City; Philippines: Imus Ylang Ylang River and General Trias; and Vietnam: Vu Gia-Thu Bon River Basin and pilot areas in Da Nang and Quang Nam.

Commitments and momentum

ACCORDING to Gonzales, the identification of the river basins as project sites were based on commitments and momentum of both the national and local governments to utilize, build capacities and talents, including funds and investments.

Another is to operate learning sites to develop IRBM capacities through hands-on application and demonstration of best practices, technologies and professional skills, while promoting government-business community through participatory process with gender equality and social inclusion.

“The project sites were identified during project preparation stage,” she said, adding that the criteria to select the river basins were discussed with Asean member states.

“Questions like: Is the site priority [river basin] for government?; Is the receiving coastal and sea area a priority coastal and marine area?; Is there adequate information and knowledge on the site?; and Are there previous or ongoing programs covering governance and management?” she said.

Good news for biodiversity

SOUGHT to comment, Executive

Zambo del Norte LGU converts waste into useful products through tech

THE municipality of Tampilisan in Zamboanga del Norte, is using technology to reduce the volume of solid waste in the area and turn them into useful products.

Some 15 personnel from the municipality have recently completed a handson training on the use, operation and maintenance of bioreactor and plastic densifier technologies.

The four-day training was organized by the Department of Science and Technology Regional Office IX (DOSTIX) through its Provincial Science and Technology Office in Zamboanga del Norte, and in cooperation with DOST’s Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI).

Experts from DOST-ITDI, Engr. Pierre Jordan Mendoza, Engr. Benjamin Santos and Joannalene Tuazon, served as resource persons and trainers.

Al Rey M. Catubig, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (Menro)-designate of Tampilisan, said they are very happy that the DOST has prioritized their municipality in the deployment of the technologies.

“Now, we can properly and efficiently manage our collected solid wastes and convert them into compost and bricks,” Catubig said.

He added that the implementation of the technologies will greatly improve their solid waste management program and bring about significant changes in Tampilisan through the support of its local officials.

Catubig noted that the municipality will now be able to reduce the volume of solid waste and turn them into useful products.

The training was part of a package of interventions provided by DOST-IX to Tampilisan through the initiative titled, “Upgrading the Solid Waste Management Program of LGU Tampilisan through Adoption of Bioreactor and Plastic Densifier Technologies.”

The project was funded through DOST’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (Setup) with P2,005,000 total funding assistance.

Setup is a flagship program of the DOST that provides innovation funds and technical support to small and medium enterprises to improve productivity, reduce production costs,

Director Theresa Mundita Lim of Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) warmly welcomed the Asean Integrated River Basin Management Project. and enable MSMEs to level up their operations.

“The project, being focused on addressing marine pollution and improving water quality, will indeed contribute immensely to protecting biodiversity in our inland waters and oceans,” she told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on February 20.

According to Lim, a biodiversity expert and staunch advocate of mainstreaming biodiversity, the project complements the work that the ACB is undertaking with the Asean member states, on marine protected areas and on transboundary conservation of marine species and biological resources, based on ecological interconnectivity.

“It is paving the way for our future partnerships with Pemsea and with other intergovernmental and civil society organizations to achieve a truly integrated, cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approach to protecting our water systems in the Asean region,” Lim said.

According to Lim, ensuring clean water supply and food security in our regional seas will require better scientific and technical understanding and appreciation of the biodiversity, including plants, animals, microorganisms, genetic materials, and ecosystems, in different bodies of water found in the Asean, including their value as indicators of and nature-based solutions for poor water quality.

“Partnerships among relevant regional organizations will be essential toward a successful integrated river basin management in the Asean,” she pointed out.

The project funded the acquisition of key equipment, such as a 1-ton capacity bioreactor and plastic densifier that were developed by DOST-ITDI.

The bioreactor converts biodegradable waste into organic compost, which can be used as a soil conditioner for urban gardening or farming. It uses an inoculant to break down organic matter in solid wastes and hasten the decomposition process.

The plastic densifier, on the other hand, processes nonbiodegradable waste, such as plastic, cellophane and Styrofoam, into usable flowerpots and decorative blocks.

Tampilisan is a fourth class municipality in Zamboanga del Norte. Like most municipalities in the country, it faces serious concerns on solid waste management.

In the past, the municipality struggled to properly dispose its solid waste collected from the different communities. This led to the accumulation of collected garbage, which pose serious environmental and health hazards.

With the technology introduced by DOST, the environmental problems of the communities will now be addressed appropriately.