The UPLB Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Environment Management (UPLB-INREM), led by its director, Dr. Juan M. Pulhin, held a co-development workshop in the Buang and Delehi Rivers Watershed in Siruma, Camarines Sur on August 28, 2024.

The co-development workshop series aims to ensure that vulnerability and risks are properly situated and that indicators used in assessing these are truly responsive within the local context. 

It is the first in a series of co-development workshops UPLB-INREM is holding under the Philippines-Canada Partnership on Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation-Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (PCP4NBS-VRA) project.

This is in line with the goal of PCP4NBS-VRA to reduce vulnerability and risk to hazards associated with climate change in six sites, namely: Batanes, Camarines Sur, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Davao. 

PCP4NBS-VRA is a project under the program of the same name managed by the Forest Foundation Philippines and funded by the Government of Canada.

It aims to develop and fund nature-based solutions in these sites to improve climate change adaptation by addressing biodiversity, gender equality, and climate resilience.

In addition to co-development, the workshop facilitated co-learning between the project team and local stakeholders on how climate-driven hazards impact forests, coastal areas, agricultural lands, and communities through plenary and breakout sessions.

Dr. Maricel T. Villamayor and Dr. Rose Jane J. Peras facilitated the workshop plenary, while Dr. Lorena L. Sabino and Liezl B. Grefalda led the breakout group discussions. They were assisted by Dr. Cristino L. Tiburan, Jr., Dr. Pastor L. Malabrigo, Jr., Dr. Canesio D. Predo, Trixie Delmendo, April Dawn Tegelan, Arge Louise Joy S. Esquivel, Gifford Jay L. Agudo, Kyle Vincent Singson, Adrian Pablo Sasi, and Marsh Reginald Ebale.

Key informant interviews with the department heads of the Municipal Agriculture Office, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and Municipal Planning and Development Office of Siruma, as well as a site visit to the local mangrove forest, supplemented the findings of the co-development workshop. 

The workshop was conducted in partnership with the Institute of Social Order, Inc. led by its executive director, Dr. Liza L. Lim, and assisted by For. Jerry Quitorio. 

Representatives from the Provincial Government of Camarines Sur, Municipal Government of Siruma, the DENR Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office-Camarines Sur, Samahan ng Maliliit na Mangingisda ng Pamintan, Bahao, at Banwaan, Inc. (SAMMAPABBA), Samahan ng mga Mangingisda ng Vito, Inc. (SMV), Samahan ng mga Maliliit na Mangingisda ng Matandang Siruma, Inc. (SMMMS), and Samahan ng Mangingisda ng Peniran, Inc. (SMP) participated in the workshop. (Kyle Vincent R. Singson, Christian Ray C. Buendia, Farah Y. Sevilla)