By: Ana Veronica Gabriel

The 3^rd National Climate Conference successfully concluded last September 25, 2014 at the Traders Hotel, Manila. This was organized by the National Academy of Science and Technology under the Department of Science and Technology (NAST-DOST) in partnership with the OML Center.

With the theme “Climate-related Risks & Disasters”, this year’s conference provided a venue where scientists, researchers and practitioners all over the country can discuss, develop and promote response to climate-related risks and disaster in the Philippines. The conference aimed to provide a venue for sharing of scientific results and findings; identify priority research and development agenda; discuss policy implications of research outputs; and identify key messages for communication materials.

Experts and practitioners on climate-related risks and disasters were invited to discuss their expertise, studies and current efforts on crucial topics such as the climate trends and implications to disaster risk reduction/operational climatology, increasing risk and exposure, and disaster response in the plenary sessions and climate science, disaster risk reduction, community-based studies, and sectoral researches in the concurrent parallel sessions.

The event also served as a venue for launching two books (“Changing Philippine Climate: Implications to Agriculture and Natural Resources,” and “Vulnerability assessment tools for coastal ecosystems: A guide book”) and several project outputs; two of which (“Mobile Website and App to Forecast and Monitor Local Weather in the Philippines” by Dr. Gerry Bagtasa and “Web-based IIM model, Disaster Risk Estimation and Analysis with Leontief-based Models” by Dr. Raymond Tan) are funded by the OML Center through its Research Grants.

Scientific studies were also presented through an exhibit of posters. First place was given to Lourdes Solidum-Montevirgen et al. for their poster on “Production of Emergency Food Reserve (EFR): Government-Private Sector Cooperation (GPC) for Community Disaster Preparedness” while second place was awarded to Nathaniel Bantayan et al. for their poster entitled “Influence of Different Tropical Cyclones on Runoff Behaviors of a Forest Watershed in the Philippines.”

The event was attended by more than 230 participants from various research and academic institutions all over the country. At the closing session, Dr. Rodel Lasco, Chair of the NAST-DOST Climate Change Task Force, OML Center Scientific Director, and Chair of the Conference’ Organizing Committee closed the event by thanking the participants and encouraging them to continuously support climate research in the Philippines.

Following are the members of the Organizing Committee: De La Salle Araneta University; DOST; Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB), Manila Observatory-Ateneo De Manila University; National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA); OML Center; Marine Science Institute-University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA); University of the Philippines Los Banos; and World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF).