Coastal community champion from the Philippines operates from Berlin to help solve environmental issues
by Kristel Dacumos-Lagorza
July 26,2020
| Source:
The Manila Times
In May 2015, Paolo Roberto Domondon sported a navy tuxedo and looked absolutely serene as he posed for photos near Singapore’s Marina Bay on his wedding day. More than five years later, he now lives in Berlin with wife Melody, who is expected to give birth to their first child anytime now.
That he is about to become a father while the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic continues to rage has inevitably prompted Paolo, senior director of policy and partnerships of Rare — an organization that uses an innovative yet sound approach in combining science and data to help government leaders solve environmental issues — to ponder on the prospect of a worrying future for his family.
“[T]his has given me the time to reflect on my work, the world and life,” Paolo told Keep in View, referring to the health crisis. This has not dampened his excitement, though. “I’m both anxious and excited to meet the little one!” he says. “Despite the threat of the disease and being away from loved ones in a foreign land, I’m happy to embark on this journey with the most amazing and hardworking woman I know.”
Paolo occupies a crucial role in Rare’s Forever Fish program, which he runs from Germany. “To date, we are one of the biggest environmental organizations in the Philippines that is focused on helping coastal communities and serves small-scale fisheries. We work closely with [fishermen] and communities, national and local governments, local management bodies and other organizations across the country.”
“Fish Forever, Rare’s global coastal fisheries program, aims in a big way to help coastal communities and overcome challenges that small-scale [fishermen] are facing,” Paolo explains. He says that, as an archipelago, the Philippines has “one of the most diverse and rich marine biodiversity and ecosystems. Small-scale fisheries contribute a lot to environmental protection, food sufficiency and climate resilience. However, these groups prove to be among the most vulnerable sectors with a very high poverty incidence rate.”
With great fervor, Paolo wanted to dive into addressing a cause greater than himself. When he and Melody returned to the Philippines in 2013, the scene he jumped back into has been challenging, to say the least. This was particularly in recent months, with a disease that is battering the livelihoods and future of his constituents. “At Rare, one of the things we want to emphasize, both in the national and international discussions, is the important role that nature and fishers play in the recovery process, including for food sufficiency and local resilience,” Paolo says.
He and Rare’s global team have been working tirelessly with local leaders, global organizations and development agencies to make sure that “we build back better — putting nature, climate and communities at the core of nation’s recovery.”
In the greater scheme of things, what makes Rare different, innovative and ultimately effective from other help agencies is its aim of empowering and engaging local leaders who have the power to craft, develop and execute long-lasting policies.
This year, one of Paolo’s team’s most exciting initiatives will be to mobilize a global network of local government leaders. The initiative is set to become one of the largest coalitions working to establish global coastal fisheries reform through local response, policy and action.
“By 2022, we aim to gather over 500 elected local leaders, who will represent a constituency of more than a million fishers — all aligned towards a shared vision and set of actions,” Paolo says.
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Theme(s): Communities and Organisations.
