CEO tapped to manage ADB’s Pacific Climate Change program

PRIMEX President and CEO Elvira C. Ablaza has been engaged by ADB to serve as international Climate Change Specialist/Program Coordinator for an ADB-funded Regional Technical Assistance (RETA) project that will improve the ability and resilience of the Pacific Developing Member Countries (PDMCs) to prepare for, and respond to, climate change impacts.

RETA 7394: Strengthening the Capacity of Pacific Developing Member Countries to Respond to Climate Change (Phase 1) is expected to result in the implementation of priority adaptation and mitigation measures among Pacific DMCs. Ms Ablaza will help facilitate the development of these measures by, where possible, building on and/or complementing existing national adaptation plans of action and climate change strategies.

Apart from exercising overall program coordination, Ms. Ablaza will serve as Team Leader of a team of international and national consultants who will support the National Climate Change Focal Points (NCCFPs) in five selected PDMCs in developing adaptation plans and pilot-testing prototype adaptation projects in priority sectors (agriculture, natural resources, water, and transport).

She will also prepare information packages on climate change adaptation and mitigation for dissemination, and design and coordinate a climate change related capacity development program, including training programs, study tours, and exchange visits within and outside the Pacific Region on specific subjects.

Last year, Ms. Ablaza was also engaged by ADB to assist the Pacific Regional Department in developing a climate change strategy and investment plan for the Pacific Region for the 2010-2012 period and beyond. She was also engaged by ADB’s Southeast Asia Regional Department (PARD) to assist the Government of Indonesia in organizing and managing the World Ocean Conference in Manado in May 2009.

That engagement was subsequently extended to enable her to produce the conference report entitled, “The World Ocean Conference 2009: From Vision to Action.” That report highlighted the key issues and recommendations arising from the various intergovernmental meetings, the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) Summit and preparatory meetings, as well as the oral presentations during the International Symposium on Ocean Science, Technology, and Policy.