A four-day regional conference participated by research and development (R&D) experts from member-economies of the Asean kicked off at the Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City on Tuesday.
Organized by the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the event serves as an avenue for exchange of information and collaboration in exploring ways for developing mechanism and safeguards to achieve sustainable urbanization in the Asean Economic Community.
The DENR-ERDB, in a news statement, said experts in R&D from different research institutions, academe and private-sector groups from Asean member-countries and dialogue partners from South Korea, Australia and China are attending the event.
The forum is part of the 50th founding anniversary of the Asean chaired by the Philippines this year.
In his brief speech to welcome the participants on Tuesday, Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu called on Asean member-economies to work together to achieve economic and socially equitable growth without compromising the environment in the face of Asean economic integration and climate change.
Cimatu said the goal of sustainable urbanization in the region can only be achieved if megacities and other urbanizing areas will get their act together.
He also stressed in his speech that Asean megacities, such as Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bandar Seri Begawan and Manila, and other highly urbanized cities in Vietnam, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Cambodia should collectively and proactively work together to make urbanization as environmentally sustainable as possible.
The R&D Congress on Sustainable Urbanization in the Course of Asean Economic Integration at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila in Pasay City kicked off on Tuesday, June 27, until Thursday, June 30.
Cimatu said any of their innovative solutions should come out from partnerships with the government, academe, sociocivic organizations and private groups. The gathering of regional R&D experts, he added, is crucial in the realization of an Asean Economic Community, since policy- and decision-makers rely on the technologies generated through science-based research for their course of action and innovative solutions.
He said science-based research was the basis of the 25 rapidly growing cities in Southeast Asia when they came up with the Asean Initiatives for ESCs, or environmentally sustainable cities.
ESCs prioritize low-carbon technologies and encourages city dwellers, industrialists and commercial establishments to strive for carbon-neutral economy. They also promote the judicious use of natural resources and utilization of wastes into energy.
As for the Philippines, Cimatu said, the government—through the DENR—continues to push for urban biodiversity conservation and green technology in building resilient cities and in achieving inclusive economic growth.
“I want you to know that the Philippines, through the [DENR], espouses such approaches to sustainable urbanization, and I encourage everyone present here today to reconcile all efforts to make such strategies effective and fruitful,” he said. The DENR chief urged everyone in the Asean “to protect the environment while we strive to strengthen the economic capacity of our region.”
“Let us be stewards of our natural resources and work on sustainable urbanization,” he stressed.
Research shows that urbanization is the major driver of the world’s changing climate brought about by global warming, Cimatu pointed out.
He noted that city dwellers worldwide consume 72 percent of energy from fossil fuels and contribute to emission of 80 percent of greenhouse gases (GHG), and that unsustainable practices in urban areas push the Earth beyond its ecological threshold, such as change in land use, which leads to land degradation and biodiversity loss.
Image credits: Alysa Salen
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