Dr. Jerome F. Sison, PRIMEX Chairman, and Ms. Elvira C. Ablaza, PRIMEX President and CEO, were among about 100 participants at the Regional Workshop on Developing Partnerships for Water and Climate Change Adaptation held at Putra Jaya, Malaysia from 1-5 December 2008.
The regional workshop was organized and hosted by the National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM), led by Dr. Zalmah Zakaria, Director General, in collaboration with the Network of River Basin Organizations (NARBO) and ADB under the leadership of Mr. Wouter Lincklaen Arriens, Lead Water Specialist of the Regional and Sustainable Development Department (RSDD).
The Workshop had threefold objectives, namely: (i) to understand the impact of climate change on water resources management in river basins and cities; (ii) to exchange information and experiences on current and planned projection and adaptation initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region; and (ii) to develop partnerships and initiatives. It focused on applications at the river basin level, with partnerships and action plans expected to boost collaboration in impact assessments, adaptation strategies, and capacity development.
The Workshop was officiated by Hon. Douglas Uggah Embas, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Malaysia, who also launched NAHRIM as the Regional Water Knowledge Hub for Water and Climate Change Adaptation of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF).
Dr. Sison and Ms. Ablaza joined five other Philippine participants, all from the public sector: Mr. Edgardo Manda, General Manager of the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA); Dr. Vicente Tuddao, Executive Director of DENR’s River Basin Control Office; Vice-Governor Enrico Corvera of Agusan del Sur; Mr. Lazaro Salvacion, Engineer of the Metro Cebu Water District; and Ms. Isidra Penaranda, OIC, Policy and Program Division and Head, Program Evaluation and Coordination Section of the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).
At the closing session of Day 2, Mr. Arriens, as Session Chair, made special mention of PRIMEX’s role in the preparation of a number of ADB-funded water resources management projects in the Asian region
and introduced Dr. Sison and Ms. Ablaza as "the Company’s key technical resource persons whom the countries could tap for assistance in project planning and formulation."