The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) will be using weather forecasts and early action measures to mitigate the impacts of increasing hydrometeorological hazards in the country.
This was announced during the conduct of a national dialogue on the program called “Forecast-Based Financing (FbF) and Emergency Response Preparedness for Climate Risks,” which was jointly led by the PRC together with the World Food Programme during the celebration of the Climate Change Consciousness Week.
According to PRC Chairman and CEO Richard Gordon, the concept of FbF aims to close the gap between preparedness and response.
“With this program, we are hoping to improve early warning and early action even before a disaster strikes,” Gordon said.
The forum also became a venue for various stakeholders to come together and understand the innovative concept, and how it can contribute to building resilience to disasters especially through the improvement of the anticipatory capacities of governments and communities.
A virtual reality game on how to respond and use the FbF mechanism during disasters was also showcased during the said forum.
For the PRC, this concept will initially be implemented until July 2020. At early stage, it will be piloted in six provinces, and as soon as knowledge and skills in developing and activating early action protocols (EAP) are established, a wider scale approach will be proposed. This means a more flexible and replicable EAP, wherein PRC can implement early action wherever impending hazards might hit the country.
Funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, the projectis being implemented in partnership with the German Red Cross, Finnish Red Cross, and Red Cross and Red Crescent Climate Centre.