DELEGATES from 15 countries are attending an international conference on climate change, which began on Monday.

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Climate Symposium 2009, being hosted by the National Environment Agency, gathers more than 50 experts from the government, academic and private sectors of Apec economies.

This is the second time an Asian country gets to play host. The previous Asian host was Korea.

Organised by the Apec Climate Centre, this year's theme, 'Climate prediction and applications: Relevance for climate adaptation strategies', explores the necessity of emergency preparedness in the face of ever-changing climate conditions.

The symposium will address the new challenges of predicting regional climate and the techniques for translating climate information into effective adaptation measures to manage climate-related risks and opportunities in various sectors of Apec's economies.

Said NEA chief executive officer Andrew Tan who opened the symposium: 'It is timely as it takes place just a few months before the world gathers in Copenhagen to draw up a global pact to tackle climate change.'

'We hope that through such discussions, we can apply the latest scientific knowledge to encourage a well-informed debate on the mitigation and adaptation actions required.'