Komunidad has launched its new school-based Climate Operations Center, which aims to strengthen the disaster risk reduction programs of educational institutions and empower them in climate change adaptation.
A joint initiative between Komunidad and the Philippine Development Foundation (PhilDev), KlimaHQ will empower its partner universities to enhance their disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation programs.
The launch was held during the second KomunidadXchange fireside chat series titled “Unlocking Potential: Future Skills and Preparing Future Innovators,” which was held at the Technological Institute of the Philippines last July 12.
During the ceremonial signing, Komunidad was represented by CEO Felix Ayque and COO Allister Ayque, while PhilDev was represented by Executive Vice Chair Dr. Emil Tomacruz and Executive Director Elaine Morales.
KlimaHQ provides schools with a decision-support tool that provides critical information on local risk analysis and early warnings. This enables institutions to protect their students from climate-related risks while accessing valuable weather data for research purposes.
The project will run for 12 months and will enable universities to put up their own command centers and strengthen resilience to manage climate risk and protect their school communities. With the data from KlimaHQ, partner schools can identify changes in weather patterns and environmental parameters, monitor risks, and analyze the situation so they can disseminate accurate, timely, and reliable early warnings specific to their locations.
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Komunidad has pointed out that the Philippines ranks at the top of the 2022 World Risk Index as the most vulnerable country to climate change and extreme weather. These negative effects have an impact on the education sector, which frequently experiences class suspensions and educational facilities serving as evacuation centers.
Komunidad Head of Impact Kaye Sangalang stressed that their primary goal is to “create safer and more sustainable learning environments that are better equipped to address the challenges posed by climate change.”
One way of doing this is by “leveraging data-driven approaches and integrating monitoring systems,” which creates a proactive approach to managing disasters and climate-related risks, even within the education sector.
“Through our partnership with Phildev, we hope to create a lasting impact, fostering a culture of preparedness and resilience among universities and their communities,” Sangalang said.
She added that by involving the academic sector in climate resilience, Komunidad is able to “provide access to knowledge, foster innovation, and educate and empower young learners to become future leaders, innovators, and decision-makers who will deal with emerging challenges.”
This initiative empowers young Filipino learners with knowledge, awareness, and a proactive mindset to effectively comprehend and address climate issues. They can advocate the #EarlyWarningsForAll movement, a campaign that empowers institutions, industries and communities to prepare for natural disasters, secure assets and save more lives.