The Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Soils and Water Management (DA-BSWM) participated in the “Regional Training on Drought Policy and Institutional Frameworks in Preparation for UNCCD COP16 negotiations” held in Athens, Greece, on November 19 to 21, 2024. The Training is in preparation for the negotiations in the 16th Conference of Parties (COP) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 2-13, 2024.

As part of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO) Project “Enabling Activities for Implementing UNCCD COP15 Decisions on Drought,” a regional training was organized to enhance stakeholders’ capacity. This targeted initiative, focused on knowledge-sharing and skill development, will empower participants to actively influence the outcomes of COP16, ensuring that decisions reflect diverse perspectives and are rooted in the lived experiences of those most impacted by drought.

The training aims to strengthen participants’ negotiation skills by equipping them with knowledge and practices for policy development in global drought challenges. Through simulations and interactive exercises, participants examined the broad impacts of drought and pinpointed national and regional policy entry points that can shape the negotiation process and promote policy coherence.

The training has four (4) sessions which are:

The processes towards policy and implementation measures for addressing drought impacts

Synergies between the national policy frameworks and the global policy options

Policy entry points towards priorities in the global agenda

Global negotiation processes and the role of national programming

Director Gina Parde-Nilo is represented by the technical staff of the Water Resources Management Division of DA-BSWM Engr. Patrick Benson B. Espanto, Engineer III, and Ms. Maureen D. Malabanan, Senior Agriculturist. With other UNCCD National Focal Points who will attend COP16, the DA-BSWM took advantage of the Training and actively participated in all its dynamic sessions.

The BSWM has an ongoing Project collaboration with UN-FAO entitled “Integrated Drought Management Approaches Across Multiple Dimensions (Vulnerability/Impact assessment, Innovative finance, Policy Alignment, Land use/Climate change impacts). With this Project and attendance to future UN-FAO International Activities, the BSWM is expecting more collaborations and support from the UN-FAO, which may include a review and updating of the Philippine National Drought Plan and The

Aligned Philippine National Action Plan to Combat Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought.

(Engr. Patrick Benson Espanto and Ms. Maureen D. Malabanan, WRMD)

#DA#BSWM#BagongPilipinas#MasaganangAgrikultura#MaunladNaEkonomiya#ParaSaMasaganangBagongPilipinas#WaterResources#WRMD