MANILA, Philippines?Ten lawmakers from Asia, Europe, Africa and South America on Saturday issued the Manila Declaration on climate change, which calls on rich nations to create a global fund to help reduce disaster risks brought by rising sea temperatures.

The five-page document titled ?The Manila Call for Action of Parliamentarians on Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation? was issued at the close of a two-day consultative meeting at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

The Manila Declaration calls for a ?comprehensive strategic approach needed for creating an enabling environment for political and financial commitment in reducing human, social, economic and environmental vulnerability to climate-related hazards.?

It says in effect that rich nations, the biggest polluters, were morally obliged to contribute to the fund.

It also calls on the United Nations and the European Union to make the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 legally binding.

The Hyogo Framework is a global blueprint adopted in Kobe, Japan, to substantially reduce losses and prevent disasters after tsunamis hit the Indian Ocean in 2005.

The meeting, the first on addressing disasters associated with climate change, was held under the direction of Dr. Salvano Briceño, head of the secretariat of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, in collaboration with the Global Legislators? Organization for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE).

First line of defense

Sen. Loren Legarda, co-convenor of the meeting, said the declaration also pushed for policy changes in national and international levels to make disaster risk reduction the first line of defense against climate change.

?Twenty years ago, nobody listened. Ten years ago, some people listened. Today, you are here,? Legarda said. ?We will not stop until the effects are felt in the grass roots.?

She also promised to help put a stop to the ?cycle of catastrophe and tragedy? in the Philippines by instituting preventive strategies through legislation to decrease human vulnerability to disasters.

At a press conference, Legarda said EU donor agencies could help the Philippines and other developing nations cope with the disasters brought by climate change.

She said the EU had the World Agroforestry Fund which could be tapped to contribute to the global fund.

?I?ve been [inviting] donor agencies to come to the Philippines and help local development plans,? the senator said, pointing out that developing nations like the Philippines were ?very vulnerable? to climate change hazards.

?The Manila Declaration embodies the statement of action by parliamentarians who participated in the global meeting. It is imperative for parliamentarians to take the lead in creating a policy and institutional environment that is conducive to promoting multi-stakeholder collaboration at all levels,? she said.

Common aim

Legarda said disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation ?clearly share a common aim and mutual benefit?to reduce vulnerability to disasters and to ensure sustainable development.?

?Inevitably, the two must be linked and the benefits optimized if we are to uphold the welfare of the poor and the most vulnerable,? she said.

Briceño said that the global financial crisis should not ?distract? developed nations from putting priority on measures to mitigate the effects of climate change.

He said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon was recently in New York ?to remind world leaders about that.?

Said Rafael Jimenez Aybar, the deputy director of GLOBE-Europe: ?You can put pressure on us [rich nations]. We have a moral obligation because we have polluted the environment.?

Aybar, a Spanish citizen, suggested that 25 percent of emission trading revenues, which is expected to reach $25 billion by 2020, be allocated as seed money.

Parties with commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, have accepted targets for limiting or reducing emissions of carbon.

Under Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol, emissions trading allows countries that have unused emission units to sell this excess capacity to countries that are over their targets.

Thus, a new commodity, which can be tracked and traded, has been created in the form of emission reductions or removals.

Storm surges

Carbon emission is largely blamed for global warming, which refers to the increase in the average temperature of the air and oceans since the mid-20th century. This leads to a continuing rise in sea levels.

Legarda said rising sea temperatures could lead to stronger and more frequent storm surges and, as a result, more disasters.

?If we are aware of hazards posed by nature, we are more prepared to react and respond to possible hazards and thus reduce risks,? she said.

The Manila Declaration listed steps to reduce disasters, such as increased public awareness, implementation of disaster reduction policies and actions, partnerships between government and private sectors, and improved scientific knowledge.

?Industrialized countries have a historical responsibility for climate change and are morally obliged to financially and technologically assist developing countries in their efforts to reduce their vulnerability and adapt to its consequences, while reducing their own greenhouse gas emissions,? it said.

Commitments

The 10 lawmakers at the meeting were Saumura Tioulong of Cambodia, Xu Jianmin of China, Patricia Romero Barrientos of Costa Rica, Kwame Ampofo of Ghana, Emmanuel Dombo of Uganda, Bernard Mulegani of the East African Legislative Assembly, Jung Sook Kim of South Korea, Doeke Eismas of The Netherlands, Hussni Moh Alsheyab of Jordan and Legarda of the Philippines.

They promised to:

Promote close collaboration between climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction experts and institutions.

Push for the implementation of the Hyogo Framework.

Advocate policy changes to advance disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation to national and international levels.

Enact legislation for disaster risk reduction.

Promote an enabling political environment to establish cooperative and mutually beneficial relationships between disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.