To promote the Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Foundation, Inc. (OML Center), build partnership and help address issues on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, its Scientific Director, Dr. Rodel D. Lasco joined the Coastal Cities at Risk (CCaR) 2013 International Scientific Meeting held on 7-11 February 2013 in Dusit Thani Hotel, Manila, Philippines. Dr. Lasco presented to the participants the role of OML Center in helping reduce and manage the impacts of climate-related hazards in the country. His presentation on Private Sector Research in Climate Change Adaptation and Hazard Management was part of Day 2 highlights under Dialogue with International Organizations and Partners.

The theme of this International Meeting is Building Adaptive Capacity for Managing Climate Change in Coastal Megacities. The overall objective of CCaR Program is to develop the knowledge base and enhance the capacity of mega-cities to successfully adapt to and when necessary cope with risks posed by the effects of climate change, including sea level rise, in the context of urban growth and development. This five-year project is funded as an International Research Initiative on Adaptation to Climate Change (IRIACC), through a collaboration of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

Dr. Gordon McBean, incoming President of the International Council for Science (ICSU), and Dr. Anond Snidvongs, Executive Director of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency of Thailand (GISTDA) are the principal investigators of the project. The Coastal Megacity Project Team Leaders are Deborah Harford (Vancouver), Dr. Wijitbusaba Ann Marome (Bangkok), Dr. Ibidun Adelekan (Lagos) and Antonia Yulo Loyzaga and Dr. Emma Porio (Manila).

During the Scientific Meeting, CCaR teams from Vancouver, Lagos, and Bangkok met with climate scientists, urban disaster risk and sustainable development experts from Canada, the Philippines, United States, China, Japan and India to identify and understand the complex and dynamic relationships between hazards, vulnerability and exposure in coastal megacities confronting climate change. Dr. Hassan Virji, Executive Director for Global Change of the System for Analysis and Training (START) and senior project adviser, also joined the meeting in Manila with other scientists and key officials including: H.E. Christopher Thornley, Ambassador of Canada; Presidential Adviser on Climate Change, Secretary Elisea Gozun; Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay; National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) President, Dr. William Padolina; Dr. Carrie Mithchell of IDRC and, Drs. Nessima Ahmad, Vinod Thomas and Yusuke Muraki of the Asian Development Bank.

The Meeting was hosted by the Manila Observatory and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology of the Ateneo de Manila University.