BUTUAN CITY – Stakeholders from various parts in the Caraga Region launched the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Capacity Assessment (CA) in an effort to mitigate calamities.

Representatives from local government units (LGUs), regional line agencies (RLAs), private sector, academe, non-government organizations (NGOs) and media participated in the launching and planning workshop over the weekend at a downtown hotel and inland resort here.

The launching of DRR and planning workshop was conducted by National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

The launching activity was one of the component activities of the project on Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (IDRR/CCA) in Local Development Planning and Decision - Making Processes (LDPD-MP).

The project is implemented by the NEDA through its Regional Development Coordination Staff (RDCS), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with funding assistance obtained from the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

The event aimed at generating awareness and support among project stakeholders at the regional and local level, gathering relevant data on DRR/CCA in local development and decision-making processes, and identifying potential partners for continuing research, training on mainstreaming DRR and CCA and other future project activities.

As noted, the Philippines is one of the world’s hazard-prone countries with 373 disaster incidents from 1905 to 2006 or about four incidents per year.

About 75 percent of these incidents are climate-related such as floods, windstorms and waves/surge brought about by typhoons, rain-induced landslides and drought. These disasters have affected the country’s development.