By LITO RULONA Correspondent THE failure of local governments to come up with measures to reduce disaster risk is tantamount to social injustice as it deprives the poor and most vulnerable sectors against adverse effects of climate change, Climate Change Commission said here yesterday. During the last of the two-day Communities for Resilience (Core) Convergence Forum at Pryce Plaza Hotel in Upper Carmen, Secretary Emmanuel de Guzman of the Commission said, “Non-action on climate and disaster risk is a social sin, an injustice to the poor and most vulnerable sectors that need much protection.” The forum was attended by local officials and representatives of Bauayan-Malungon, Cagayan de Oro, Davao and Tagoloan with the hope of increasing capacities of local communities on reducing disaster risk and adapting to climate change. De Guzman pointed out that sectors mired by poverty, such as farmers, fisherfolk, and informal settlers families living in dangerous areas, have a higher chance of experiencing the ill effects of climate change due to increased exposure and vulnerability. “I expect that at the end of the year, all LGUs numbering to not less than 500 near watershed areas would already submit mitigating plans for immediate action. The commission has prepared enough funds to implement this plan of action,” he said. De Guzman said poor people are often more exposed to droughts and floods which put their homes, crops, livestocks and even their own lives at greater risk. In its 2015 report, United Nations Office of the Disaster Risk Reduction said the Philippines ranked sixth among 10 countries worldwide hardest hit by natural disasters, sustaining US$1.9 billion in economic damage and affecting an estimated 3.83 million people. Actions taken by CCC includes preparing risk assessments, protecting ecosystems, improving agricultural methods, managing water resources, building settlements in safe zones, instituting better building designs, improving insurance coverage, developing social safety nets and strengthening multi-hazard early warning system and services. De Guzman said the most effective way for a country to reduce climateelateds risk in the medium-term is through factoring risk reduction into development planning, land use and building and environmental management. He also favors the call of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to stop large-scale mining throughout the country. “Even small-scale mining should also implement regulation and good practices to maintain and preserve the eco-system. Small-scale miners should also police their own ranks. We are in the climate-change era and all food producing cities and provinces are all at stake,” he said.