The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff-ECAN Monitoring and Evaluation Division (EMED) Chief and the focal person for Palawan Biosphere Reserve (BR) Engr. Madrono Cabrestante Jr., attended the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s meeting-workshop with theme “Strengthening the Collaboration among Science Networks in Asia and the Pacific”, held at Ayana Midplaza, in Jakarta, Indonesia, November 7-9.
The meeting-workshop placed emphasis on “SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals”, by aiming to achieve dialogues and forge networks among UNESCO science programmes, stakeholders, and partners, in support of the 2030 Agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event also provided a venue among the participants to share the results of the studies funded by the Japan Funds-in-Trust (JFIT) projects, eliciting views and suggestions which would also be inputted for the Regional Science Strategy and inter-science programmes across the SDG initiatives.
The workshops were held through World Café in which participants were separated into different groups discussing environmental concerns. Topics discussed were: Integrated Water Resource Management, Science Communication for Disaster Risk Reduction, Awareness Raising and Institutional Capacity Development in Climate Change Mitigation, and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity and Ecosystem.
The three-day meeting-workshop also served as a venue in updating the UNESCO՚s priorities and vision for science programmes and networks in Asia and the Pacific, as well as to explore and generate new collaborations with the wider science community. It also included the presentations conducted by UNESCO Programme Specialists, experts from UNESCO Centres, and project-related partners under JFIT.
To forge stronger and inspire science innovations and partnerships, Palawan Biosphere Reserve and PCSDS will strive to collaborate with Dr. Miguel Clusener-Godt of Yokohama University for future research partnerships and in the 2023 Conference on Biosphere and Sustainability, and with UNESCO and biosphere reserve partners in Southeast Asia.
The meeting-workshop was capped by a field trip to the UNESCO-designated Cibodas Biosphere Reserve in West Java.
