Earth biodiversity is impacted by a wide range of environmental changes originating from dynamics at local(e.g. deforestation, urbanization) and regional (global climate changes) scales that have led to loss ofbiodiversity during the last decades. Biodiversity sustains ecosystem services (e.g. food security,epidemiological control) and its contribution in maintaining productive and resilient ecosystems is now widelysupported by empirical observations. Biodiversity, however, is not evenly distributed on Earth and someareas of exceptional richness facing severe anthropogenic perturbations have been identified as biodiversityhotspots. In Southeast Asia (SEA), several of the largest and most endangered hotspots have beenrecognized. The confusion that reigns over freshwater biodiversity in SEA, however, bridles conservationeffort and ecological climate change research.FRESHBIO aims at integrating human and life sciences with the objectives: (1) to break ground inbiodiversity monitoring by establishing new standards in biodiversity sciences, (2) to pioneer ecological andclimate change research in insular SEA through historical and monitoring approaches, (3) to explore manand biosphere relationship by assessing the impact of environmental changes on the biodiversity andcommunities at several spatial and temporal scales. With these objectives, FRESHBIO aims at: (1) framingbiodiversity research and monitoring through the development of automated DNA-based methods of speciesidentification and environmental DNA approaches, (2) assessing the ecological (community assembly anddynamics) and evolutionary (expansion vs. contraction) states of aquatic biodiversity in SEA insular hotspotsresulting from heterogeneous geological and biotic contexts, (3) assessing the impact of environmentalchanges on biodiversity through a mapping approach as well as identifying adaptive strategies andevaluating the resilience of local communities in front of biodiversity loss through a diachronic approach.FRESHBIO is proposed by a consortium of researchers from France, Germany, Philippines and Indonesiawith a long-standing interest on the ecology and evolution of insular SEA freshwater biotas as well as itsconservation and sustainable use. This project offers a unique opportunity to regionalize biodiversityresearch in insular SEA and helps break through the taxonomic impediment for large-scale assessments ofthe state of freshwater biodiversity. Compliant with the Access and Benefit Sharing principle of theConvention on Biological Diversity, FRESHBIO matches several of the national priorities of the participantssuch as the development of solutions for stopping biodiversity loss and concepts for sustainable usestrategies to ensure essential ecosystem services, the development of scientific networks to increase theacademic competitiveness of developing SEA partners and scientific innovation in a changing world.

The proposed research aims to assess the uses and consequences of communication technologies in the recovery and rehabilitation of populations affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda), which made landfall in the Philippines on November 8th 2013 was one of the strongest storms ever recorded with over 6000 casualties and more than 12 million people affected. In particular, we propose to investigate the uses of digital technologies and innovations such as mobile phones, SMS, crisis mapping and social media both by directly affected populations and humanitarian organisations. Communications technologies are increasingly recognized as vital in the prevention, mitigation and rehabilitation of disasters. It is even claimed that digital innovations such as social media are transforming humanitarianism by enabling 'people-centred humanitarian action' which empowers disaster-affected communities to coordinate and respond to their own problems. This optimism has given rise to a discourse on 'humanitarian technology' referring to the uses and applications of technology by disaster-prone communities in the response, recovery and rebuilding (World Disasters Report, 2013). Yet, despite the enthusiasm regarding the role of digital technologies as tools for humanitarian relief there is little evidence to assess their impact. What seems to be particularly missing from accounts on 'humanitarian technology' is the perspective of the affected populations themselves. Our ethnographic study aims to weigh the optimism surrounding 'humanitarian technology' against actual benefits to users. Our approach places the voice of affected people at the heart of the analysis. We will specifically examine the impact of communication technologies in the following critical areas: 1) information dissemination; 2) collective problem-solving; 3) redistribution of resources; 4) accountability and transparency of humanitarian efforts and, 5) voice and empowerment of affected populations. This is an 18-month ethnographic study that will take place in two disaster-affected locations (Tacloban, Leyte and Bantayan, Cebu) where we will conduct qualitative interviews, participant observation and online ethnography. We will conduct additional interviews with representatives from humanitarian organisations, government agencies and digital platforms to assess their uses of technological innovation in the disaster recovery efforts. Comparing the perspective of disaster-affected people and humanitarian organizations will allow us to understand both actual and potential uses of technology. The proposed research will be one of the first mixed method studies to combine an in-depth study of affected populations with a study of digital practitioners and humanitarian workers. The project will engage directly with humanitarian organizations, government and civil society agencies as well as the telecommunications and digital technology industry with which we have established partnerships. Our research aims to inform the academic, policy and public debates on the role of communication technologies in a humanitarian context.

Rabies, a horrific but preventable disease, kills over 200 people annually in the Philippines. The National Rabies Prevention and Control Program in the Philippines has catalysed rabies control efforts with some provinces now aiming to declare freedom from disease. However, incursions and outbreaks continue and human deaths still occur. While improved postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) access has reduced mortality, it has proven expensive. Indeed rising PEP use has put a strain on local and national budgets, even as rabies circulation has declined, raising the question of how these efforts can be sustained. Meanwhile, routine rabies surveillance in the Philippines has major shortcomings and is not sufficiently sensitive for international agencies to recognize rabies free areas or to rapidly respond to incursions which remain a risk while rabies circulates in other provinces. As a result, surveillance measures need strengthening and use of PEP needs rationalizing for the Philippines to fully benefit from rabies control measures that are currently underway. Our overarching aim is to deliver a cost-effective, epidemiologically robust surveillance package that can be rolled out across the Philippines to guide and sustain the elimination of canine rabies. Through implementation research we will develop best practice for an enhanced surveillance approach using Integrated Bite Case Management (IBCM) as a strategy to detect rabid animals, with risk assessment of bite patients triggering epidemiological investigations. IBCM has been identified as a potential strategy that can sufficiently enhance surveillance to enable verification of rabies freedom by international organizations and rapid detection of incursions for effective outbreak responses to maintain rabies freedom. Operationalizing IBCM as a key component of enhanced surveillance will have immediately beneficial applications within the Philippines and is of critical importance for the global campaign to eliminate human rabies deaths by 2030. IBCM has also been demonstrated as an effective way to improve PEP administration, ensuring at risk persons are treated and unnecessary PEP use is reduced. Within our implementation study, we will conduct a pragmatic stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate the potential for cost savings and improved patient care through rationalized PEP. We estimate that if implemented effectively, rationalized PEP could save over $9 million every year in the Philippines. Focusing on the low socio-economic class provinces of Romblon, Occidental Mindoro, and Oriental Mindoro, that include geographically isolated and disadvantaged communities, SPEEDIER will provide learning opportunities to local health and veterinary professionals and support communities to attain disease freedom, contributing to the Philippines developmental goals (2014 Kalusugang Pangkalahatan ('Universal Health') Road Map). Integrated, intersectoral, surveillance and response systems are advocated by international agencies, but rarely operationalized in resource-poor settings. Using our detailed epidemiological understanding of rabies and experience of deploying new technologies, we will develop an integrated surveillance and response system that enables effective working between sectors at multiple scales of governance. This is important; international agencies like the World Health Organisation and the World Organisation for Animal Health recognize the essential need to develop effective surveillance and sustainable approaches to guide rabies elimination programmes. The tools and best practice produced by SPEEDIER will therefore be invaluable for the global target to achieve zero human rabies deaths by 2030.

The objective of the Capacity Building for Legal and Social Advancement in the Philippines or “CALESA” is to help remedy the following interdependent problems in Philippine legal education:1. The dearth of academic research in law schools.2. The inability of professors and students to access the source materials of their own civil law tradition, and developments in other civil law traditions due to weak multilingual interest and skills.3. Inability of the legal profession to contribute significant academic (as opposed to professional) expertise to the modernization of outdated legal codes, the protection of human rights and the rule of law, and advancement of ASEAN integration, despite their critical and/or geo-strategic importance.At the root of these problems is a systemic defect in Philippine legal education – the lack of programs in law schools that are focused on developing academic expertise and generating research. Virtually all of the country’s 108 law schools are professional. This means that they are geared towards producing legal practitioners. This creates a knowledge deficit that prevents the legal profession from more effectively combining law and policy to deal with some of the most pressing needs of society.Upon CALESA’s completion, it is envisioned that the Philippines’ leading law schools will adopt curricular innovations that are focused on research, multilingualism, human rights and the rule of law, regional integration and comparative law in a manner that is consistent with the Bologna process in order to facilitate portability with EU universities. Because these institutions are among the thought leaders in the field of legal education, the expectation is to initiate a cascade effect whose benefits will in time reach the other law schools, the Judiciary, the legal profession, the legal system, and Philippine society.

Half of the world's cities with populations above 100,000 are located within water basins where over half of the available water supply is depleted for part of the year. These water-stressed cities are finding it extremely difficult and expensive to secure the additional water supplies needed to support their growth. Water security is of particular concern for Filipino cities, which have been designated amongst the worst in Asia for urban water security. Changing climate and increasing urban population density will put more stress on their water resources. Current projections of climate up to 2050 suggest the Philippines will become warmer, with increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall during the dry season and more extreme rainfall events during the wet season. This will undoubtedly exacerbate both water availability during periods of drought and the magnitude of flood events during periods of heavy rainfall. This susceptibility has led to the Philippines being consistently ranked near the top of countries most at risk to climate change. In addition to water stresses from a changing climate, population is expected to increase by ~50% up to 2050, with urban population set to double over the same period. This will further exacerbate pressures on future water resources. The influence of climate and population change will have an acute impact on groundwater, which currently supplies more than 50% of the potable water supply and 85% of the piped water supply in the Philippines. Groundwater is strategically and economically important to current and future water supply and is the principle source of dry season river flows, which in turn are often used for potable supply. Despite the high reliance on groundwater resources, reasonable coverage of groundwater datasets and several regional-level groundwater management plans, there has been little in the way of real-time monitoring, routine monthly forecasting or impact assessment of climate and population stressors. Through a programme of data gathering, knowledge exchange, fieldwork, numerical modelling and stakeholder engagement the Philippines Groundwater Outlook (PhiGO) project seeks to undertake assessments of population and climate change impacts on regional groundwater resources and translate these into usable forecasts of flood and drought risk. There are two distinct timeframes at which uptake and potential benefits of the project will be realised. Short term, seasonal-scale forecasts will aid in reactive preparedness, whilst long term, decadal-scale forecasts can be used to take proactive steps towards reducing the future physical and economic impacts of extreme hydrometeorological events. To better understand the potential socio-economic impacts of groundwater level extremes and potential water management strategies, PhiGO is also focussed on quantifying the cascading impacts of flood and drought through key infrastructure and analysing the cost-benefit of differing water management and urban planning scenarios.