Puerto Princesa City builds exposure database on climate disaster risk assessment On

On November 21 to 23, 2018, Puerto Princesa City government’s Geographic Information System (GIS) team participated in a mentoring workshop on Climate Disaster Risk Assessment (CDRA) facilitated by USAID’s Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity (SURGE) Project. CDRA is a methodology used to understand potential impacts of hazards to people and their properties. Puerto Princesa City is vulnerable to climate-related hazards such as flooding, storm surges, and landslides. Through the CDRA, the local government can mainstream its climate change adaptation, and disaster risk and reduction management (CCA-DRRM). USAID/SURGE CCA-DRR Specialist Dr. Jake Rom Cadag introduced tools to improve livestock and critical infrastructure data. He also emphasized the importance of collaboration among local government offices in completing the exposure data, which shows location and population information of exposed and vulnerable areas to climate-related hazards. The GIS team digitized the city’s spatial data and created exposure database tables related to population, urban use, natural resource production, critical facilities, and lifeline utilities. The USAID/SURGE Project supports the City Planning and Development Office in the completion of the CDRA process that will mainstream CCA-DRRM in the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan and eventually in other local plans such as the DRRM Master Plan and Local Climate Change Action Plan.