The third phase of the series of multipartite Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Management (CCA-DRRM) Forums led by Isabela State University and Kyoto University was held in NIA-MARIIS Division 1, Batal, Santiago City on November 10, 2022. This science-academe-government-community collaboration is a joint project between ISU and KU which stresses the essence of involvement of local communities in climate change, flood, and drought risk management. It was participated by the Local Government Unit of Echague, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officers, Municipal Agriculture Officers, Provincial Board Member, Irrigators Associations, NIA-MARIIS-Division 1 staff, and project staff of ISU-Echague Campus.

At the outset, Engr. Laila S. Acosta, Acting Supervising IDO, introduced the participants of the forum and encouraged them to actively participate and share their best practices particularly on the operation and maintenance activities in the waterway. On the other hand, Hon. Alfredo V. Alili, Provincial Board Member, assured governmental support to ISU-Japan R&D collaborative projects on watershed rehabilitation and management. The highlight of the program was the knowledge sharing on the good practices of Disaster Prevention Research Institute of Kyoto University (DPRI-KU), Japan and the plans for institutional collaboration instigated by Isabela State University through the efforts of Dr. Orlando F. Balderama, ISU’s Vice President for Research and Development, Extension and Training. Specifically, Dr. Khagendra Pralhad Bharambe and Ms. Hikaru Goto, international partners of ISU, emphasized how to alleviate the climate change impacts on agriculture and communities, and how to employ mapping techniques as flood mitigation measures.

Afterwards, Dr. Balderama informed the forum participants about the SWIM Project Team’s efforts in promoting integrated water resources management (IWRM) practices as essential component of the Smart City Development Program of Santiago City. He also explained the integration of climate change-adaptive technologies for disaster prevention and impact mitigation in smallhold farms in vulnerable lowland and upland communities in Cagayan Valley Region. On the open forum phase of the event, the participants and resource speakers discussed matters on dredging activities, use of dredging technologies, sediment reduction and management through flushing, mechanical dredging, sediment bypass tunnel, and hydrosuction, Rainfall-Runoff Inundation (RRI) model, small dam construction in the tributaries, holistic funding for watershed rehabilitation, human discipline, strict implementation of municipal ordinance to refrain destructive human activities, establishment of Sabo dams upstream, reforestation, regulation of fish cage in the dam, and the livelihood and economic status of people.

During the forum, the participants also shared their perception on flood risk in Cagayan River Basin area by means of a community survey to subsequently identify influencing factors in public risk communication and dissemination for better risk management. To this end, this community partnership paves the way for the fulfillment of the shared responsibilities of each agency for a more disaster resilient society.

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