PH bats for greater protection for migratory species in ecotourism sites

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said the Philippines will push for major initiatives aimed at harnessing ecotourism as a tool for conservation of migratory species and their habitats when the country hosts next month the world's largest wildlife conference this year.

"The Philippines, as an important host to a number of migratory species in its coastal, marine, wetland and forest ecosystems, will prove to the rest of the world that human development should not be at the cost of our natural resources and the ecosystem services that they provide," Cimatu said.

Cimatu made the statement as he announced that the country has already submitted its draft "Resolution on Sustainable Tourism and Migratory Species" to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in time for the 12th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, or more commonly abbreviated as Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), to be held in Manila from October 23 to 28.

"The resolution aims to bring forth how wildlife interaction in tourism affects migratory species and how tourism activities should be managed to ensure that these do not negatively impact the said species," Cimatu said.

By hosting the CMS event, Cimatu said the Philippines will have the opportunity to share its experiences in terms of migratory species conservation for other countries to follow.

"Global resources are shared resources. As a global resource, the preservation of migratory species should be a collective responsibility of all nations," Cimatu pointed out.

Migratory species that pass by the Philippines on different times of the year contribute as wildlife tourist attractions and have led to the rise in ecotourism.  

These species include the whale shark or butanding that migrates to Legazpi City in Albay province, Donsol town in Sorsogon and Oslob town in Cebu; the sea cow or dugong that frequents the town of Busuanga in Palawan and Mati City in Davao Oriental; and marine turtle or pawikan that visits the provinces of Bataan, Palawan and Tawi-Tawi. 

As part of the East Asian-Austrasian Migratory Flyway, the Philippines also hosts a number of migratory birds in protected areas like the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecosystem Area, Naujan Lake National Park in Oriental Mindoro, and the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Cebu.

Cimatu said the proposed resolution aims to regulate ecotourism areas frequented by migratory species and ensure that their natural migration patterns, habitats, population are not distorted or harmed.

"It is important for the Philippines and all countries that are parties to the CMS to maintain migratory sites as viable habitats so that these species will continue to come back," Cimatu said. 

He added: "We can do tourism using biodiversity, but we have to preserve it. There should be a balance between man and nature in pursuit of economic development."

The environment chief expressed hope the CMS party states will adopt the resolution.

"The resolution comes at a time when migratory species are exposed to a growing number of threats, which have led to the decline in their population," Cimatu said. "We are determined to ensure that ecotourism protects these species and their habitats at all costs."

The CMS meeting will help participants grasp the importance and tools of the convention, which serves as a platform to strengthen transboundary conservation efforts for migratory animals worldwide. 

The Philippines and other countries will have the opportunity to share information and experiences with other states sharing the same migratory species, also with a view to achieving biodiversity targets as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The event will mark the first time the CMS conference is held in Asia since the international treaty was adopted in Bonn, Germany in 1979 and came into force in 1985. ###

DENR press releases and other news/feature articles are posted at the DENR website: www.denr.gov.ph. For queries/comments, write: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

DENR leads twin environmental events in September

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will lead the local celebration of two important global environmental events this September: the International Coastal Cleanup Day and the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.

DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu called on Filipinos to take part in the twin celebration seeking to raise public awareness on the protection of the seas and the ozone layer, both will be held on September 16.

"These two global environmental events will not only educate Filipinos about the current situation of the environment, but also heighten the consciousness of the general public on the dangers that may come if we do not properly take care of our water resources and the ozone layer," Cimatu said.

With the theme "Sama-sama para sa Karagatan," this year's International Coastal Cleanup Day is organized by the DENR's Biodiversity Management Bureau, in partnership with the International Coastal Cleanup Philippines under the Washington-based environmental advocacy group Ocean Conservancy, and the Philippine Coast Guard.

The institutional partners include the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Department of Education, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Department of Tourism.

Now on its 31st year, the event aims to engage people to remove trash from beaches and waterways around the world, identify the sources of the debris and change the behavioral patterns that contribute to pollution.

In the National Capital Region, simultaneous cleanup activities will be held in Manila Bay near the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, Centennial Park and Fish Port in Navotas, Pinagsabugan creek in Malabon, Pasig River and at the Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area.

The DENR advises participants in clean-up activities to bring their own industrial or garden gloves, reusable containers and utensils, and wear comfortable clothes. Children aged 16 years old and below are discouraged to join the activity.

The observance of the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer coincides with the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. 

This year's theme is "Caring for the life under the sun" and the DENR's Environmental Management Bureau has lined up some activities, including seminars and workshops on the inventory of greenhouse gases (GHG) in relation to the country's commitment to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Agreement.

A global climate deal reached in Rwanda last year, the Kigali Agreement is an amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol which aims to phaseout hydrofluorocarbons or HFCs, a family of potent GHG by the late 2040s. 

On September 14, the United Nations Environment Programme will launch the website for its newest campaign www.ozoneheroes.org, as well as #OzoneHeroes that will be used in social media to raise awareness on the accomplishments of the Montreal Protocol.

The International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is intended to spread awareness of the depletion of the ozone and search for solutions to preserve it. ###

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Cimatu pushes for ASEAN-wide mangrove dev't, conservation

Amid growing evidence of the significant opportunities mangroves offer for climate change adaptation and mitigation, Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu called for more convergence among member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in promoting mangrove development and conservation.

"With the conservation and management strategies that our respective countries are implementing, I encourage convergence of our research and development efforts for a sustainable region-wide mangrove conservation," Cimatu said in his keynote address at the 2nd ASEAN Mangrove Congress held in Manila from September 5 to 7.

Cimatu said that convergence in mangrove research and development is the key to protecting the region against the devastating effects of climate change and global warming.

"Let us continue our pursuit of research-driven strategies and policies to effectively manage and conserve our mangrove resources," Cimatu told conference participants, which include mangrove practitioners, government officials, scientists and academicians.

He added: "Let us continue transferring the knowledge we have gathered into responsible community-based practices."

Cimatu said that it is important for ASEAN countries to "work as one" given the fact that the region is highly vulnerable to climate change as a large portion of its population and economic activities are concentrated along coastlines.

In fact, he said, some of the ASEAN countries already started to experience the impacts of climate change, such as increasing number of tropical cyclones, extreme flooding, storm surges, landslides, coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion.

He cited in particular tropical cyclone Nargis that affected almost 2.4 million people and killed almost 100,000 in Myanmar in 2008;  the 2004 killer tsunami that hit Thailand; and super typhoon Yolanda (a.k.a. Haiyan) that killed thousands of people and drove nearly four million people out of their homes in central Philippines in 2013.

Cimatu said that the ASEAN region is also expected to face the worst impacts of climate change by year 2100 with a 4.8 degrees Celsius rise in mean annual temperature and a 70-centimeter rise in mean sea level, as projected in recent studies by the Asian Development Bank.

These impacts include a rise in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere partly due to low carbon sequestration potential of forests, increasing water stress, and high incidence of illnesses and infections.

In the wake of climate-induced disasters and other devastating effects of global warming, Cimatu said the lowly mangroves bring hope in the fight against climate change.

"Mangroves provide protection against extreme weather events like storm winds and coastal flooding, and even earthquake-induced event such as tsunamis," Cimatu said. 

The environment chief noted that a number of research findings revealed that a wide extent of at least one kilometer mangroves can weaken waves by as much as 75 percent through its vast underground root networks and high vegetation structural complexity.

"Mangroves also serve as both sources and sinks of atmospheric carbon dioxide as these plants can sequester carbon dioxide and store the carbon compounds in their biomass and in the soil," Cimatu said.

"Therefore, effective and sustainable management efforts are essential to reverse rapid mangrove loss and improve our resilience to the impacts of climate change," he added.

Cimatu said that out of the 18 million hectares of mangrove forest globally, 35 percent of the area coverage are found in Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

"Mangrove forest is an important ecosystem in many ASEAN countries," Cimatu pointed out. "It serves as a source of income and livelihood of many coastal communities."

"Mangroves also protect these communities from hazards induced by storms and typhoons, and provide shelter and nursery ground to a diverse community of organisms."

The 2nd ASEAN Mangrove Congress is organized by the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

This was the second time the Philippines hosted the event. The first ASEAN Mangrove Congress was also held in the country in December 2012. ###

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