The workshop in Angeles was part of the first leg in a series of capacity development events taking place over the course of the BCRUPD project.
Located in the province of Pampanga, Angeles is a highly urbanized city, known as one of the most economically advanced centres outside Metro Manila. This landlocked city with mostly flat terrain is bordered by Clark Freeport Zone, and Mabalacat to the north and San Fernando to the southeast.
In a vulnerability assessment study of Pampanga in 2012, Angeles was found to be susceptible to natural hazards such as flash floods, rain-induced landslides, and volcanic and seismic activity. However, due to the topography provided by the Abacan River and various creeks evenly distributed around the city, Angeles is less prone to flooding.
The city was devastated by the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991, but has since been redeveloped extensively. Major infrastructure developments in Angeles are in progress, which include the expansion of a high-speed railway between the city’s international airport and Metro Manila. Given the pace and scope of urbanization anticipated for Angeles in the coming years, it was thus chosen as one of the five partner cities in the BCRUPD project. In other words, Angeles’ development necessitates climate change adaptation mainstreaming and appropriate policy interventions and urban design in order to become a climate-resilient and sustainable city.
The training workshop, facilitated by UN-Habitat as the implementing team, was an opportunity for participants from local government units to acquire initial information on and an understanding of the BCRUPD project. Over the two-day training, presenters UN-Habitat and partner consultants gave technical input on climate adaptation action and urban systems, and participants engaged in a mapping exercise covering the city’s climate change issues and trends, development opportunities, and climate change projects.
