22 April 2013: The Regional Workshop on “Integrating Local and Indigenous Knowledge related to Hydro-meteorological Hazards and Climate Change Adaptation with Scientific Knowledge: Lessons learned” concluded the second phase of the “Strengthening Resilience of Coastal and Small Island Communities towards Hydro-meteorological Hazards and Climate Change Impacts (StResCom)” project, a three-year project funded by the Japan Funds-in-Trust (UNESCO-JFIT).

The workshop, held in Manila, Philippines, from 18-21 April 2013, was co-organized with the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM), co-funded by the Japanese Government through its UNESCO-JFIT as well as by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN).

The workshop was also held as an activity of “Capacity-building to strengthen resilience of coastal and small island communities against impacts of hydro-meteorological hazards and climate change,” a one-year project funded by the APN. The event brought together 33 participants representing research and scientific institutions, governments, local and national NGOs, and local communities in Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste.

The workshop aimed to: share challenges, experiences, and lessons learned in the process of developing and piloting self-assessment tools for communities, as well as in developing educational and awareness raising materials; and discuss and finalize workplans of activities for the third phase of the StResCom project.

The event included: a field trip to Angono, Rizal, one of the project’s field sites in the Philippines; the sharing of experiences and lessons learned while developing and piloting self-assessment tools for communities to identify, validate, and assess local and indigenous knowledge (LINK); presentation of the educational and awareness-raising materials that integrate LINK with science; and discussions to develop the workplans for phase three of StResCom, which is expected to start in July 2013. [UNESCO Press Release] [StResCom Project Webpage]