Mainstreaming Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan

As the country addresses the climate emergency, it is vital for local governments to mainstream climate and disaster risk information into their local plans to be able to adapt to predicted climate change impacts. The 1987 Constitution provides for the sustainable management, development, allocation, and use of land resources, while the Local Government Code of 1991 devolves environmental responsibilities and planning to local governments through the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP). This chapter discusses the process on how to integrate climate and disaster risk assessment (CDRA) into the CLUP through the example of planning for the Science City of Muñoz (SCM) in the province of Nueva Ecija, executed by the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute (UPRI) from 2018 to 2019. It presents how CDRA is mainstreamed in every step of the CLUP formulation process. Using a multi-stakeholder participatory approach strengthens local ownership and understanding of the city’s risks and vulnerabilities, specifically to floods. This chapter is intended to serve as a practical guide and resource for policymakers, practitioners, and planners. Without probabilistic climate and disaster risk assessments, local governments will not be able to anticipate future hazards that are predicted to be bigger than what is covered by local knowledge and historical records.