BRACE Philippines

Australia is deepening its commitment to disaster risk management in the Philippines through support for a new program to help urban communities better prepare for and cope with natural disasters and climate change. The A$63 million program, BRACE (Building the Resilience and Awareness of Metro Manila Communities to Natural Disasters and Climate Change Impacts), will be piloted in Taguig City in Metro Manila and will be financed in equal parts by the Australian Government and the Taguig City Government. The BRACE program will produce state-of-the-art digital elevation maps to model risks and vulnerability from flooding, earthquakes and high wind to improve city planning; develop approaches to slum upgrading that could potentially benefit tens of thousands, and; build partnerships with local organisations which provide cost-effective, safe housing for the poor.