Pretty good news out of Manilla, Philippines. The national government passed a new bill that creates an adaptation fund. The fund will go towards projects to prevent disasters and respond to climate risks. Check out what the UN said about the law:

If enacted into law, the People’s Survival Fund will bankroll local governments’ adaptation activities like land and water resources management, agriculture and fisheries, and health and natural ecosystems development, the bill states.

Projects to be implemented should be in line with the government’s climate adaptation plan listed under the National Strategic Framework on Climate Change, it added.

“There is no substitute for national and local government budgets that are climate change-adaptive. The measure will allow us to pole-vault toward ensuring disaster- and climate change-resilient communities,” Ms. Legada said.

The National Treasury will funnel a billion pesos to the fund annually through the General Appropriations Act.

The bill, principally authored by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, also mandated the Budget Department to ensure “the appropriate prioritization and allocation of funds to support climate change-related programs and projects,” the statement said.

Margareta Wahlstrom, UN Secretary-General for disaster risk reduction, last month said Republic Act (RA) 9729 or the Climate Change Act of 2009 is one of the best climate change laws in the world, but noted its poor implementation at the local level.

The country’s climate change law was enacted as an offshoot of tropical storm Ondoy (Ketsana), which ravaged the country in September 2009.

Read the rest at Business World. Follow Climate Adaptation.