To implement the Bali roadmap on reducing air pollution, the Bandung Institute of Technology's alumni association (IA-ITB) is set to train local people on how to mitigate pollution and adapt to severe impacts of climate change.

The alumni will also drive local administrations to raise funds for the implementation of the programs.

"The environment state ministry will receive grants to deal with climate change. The IA-ITB will train its staff to support local administrations on the mitigation and adaptation programs," said IA-ITB chairman Hatta Radjasa, who is also State Secretary, during the launch of the IA-ITB for climate change program on Thursday.

"Through the programs, we hope our people will become familiar with ways to deal with climate change, such as carbon trading."

Hundreds of ITB alumni -- welfare chief minister Aburizal Bakrie, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik and State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar -- attended the ceremony.

The IA-ITB also signed to cooperate with the Coordinating Ministry for People's Welfare and State Ministry for the environment for the mitigation and adaptation programs.

The IA-ITB team leader, Armi Susandi, said the two offices would provide resources, including funding, to support the alumni's climate change programs.

"Our program consists of making partnerships with local authorities across the country to provide training for the trainers," Armi told The Jakarta Post.

He said the training would involve politicians, students of public schools and pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) as well as local staff members.

He said the first training session would be held in Riau in April and would be attended by 600 people from across the country.

Aside from boosting public awareness, the planned two-day training course would teach participants to identify the impacts of climate change in their respective areas.

"We target participants who can identify problems with climate change in their areas," Armi said.

Rachmat welcomed the ITB's alumni programs, saying it would help the government raise awareness for climate change in remote areas.

He said the government also planned to set up a special body on the mitigation and adaptation of climate change to help the country cope with its impacts.

"The plan is that all grants for the mitigation and adaptation programs would be channeled through this body," he said.

Riau Governor Rusli Zainal, who was also a speaker at the ceremony, insisted his province was ready to combat climate change.

"We are now assisting the Riau climate change center to speed efforts in combating climate change," he said.

Indonesia is one of the few developing countries that has ratified the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.

The government's programs on the mitigation and adaptation are expected to reduce the impacts of global warming and cut greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.

The Bali roadmap, issued during the UN climate change conference last December, calls on the world to take action to cut emissions.

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