TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – A German government-funded project is working with three key cities in eastern Visayas to combat the effects of climate change and reduce vulnerabilities in their barangays.

The cities of Tacloban and Ormoc in Leyte and Calbayog in Samar have identified various activities, including the production of enhanced multi-hazard maps, training in risk assessment and DRM-sensitive zoning and planning, setup of early warning systems, natural resources protection, and small infrastructure projects for implementation within a two-year period.

All three cities are prone to natural hazards like landslides, storm surges and floods, as well as to extremely hazardous events such as sea level rise that may be triggered by climate change. 

Recently, the GTZ assisted the Tacloban City police in training officials of all 138 barangays in basic disaster management and emergency response.

To improve disaster preparedness in the three cities, a comprehensive training for rescue teams is slated this April.