DENR, GTZ sign $3.73M grant on climate change

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) on Monday signed a $3.73 million grant for climate change and protection from forest denudation. DENR Secretary Ramon Paje and GTZ country director Jochem Lange signed the grant papers commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Protection, and Nuclear Safety. With the grant, the Philippines will implement measures on REDD or Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation – an incentive-centered concept for developing countries to reduce forest loss – until 2012 and entails the prevention around 35,000 tons of carbon emissions, particularly in Leyte province and Panay island, as well as the yearly sequestration of 7,000 tons of cabon. REDD promotes environmental, economic, and social benefits while protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and other forest-dependent communities. The Bali Action Plan cited that deforestation and forest degradation, especially in developing countries, contribute significantly to the build up of greenhouse gases. “No less than the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC] have recognized the immense potential of enhancing the capacities of developing countries in restoring their forests as an effective tool to combat climate change," said Paje. The UNFCCC conference in Bangkok, Thailand last October called for forest restoration that could make a “significant contribution to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions both globally and within the region." —JE/VS, GMANews.TV