Envi groups form alliance to restore Philippine mangroves
MANILA, Philippines – Environmental groups officially established the Philippine branch of the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) on Tuesday (September 12) in an effort to save the land’s endangered mangrove forests.
water.
The Philippine branch includes Conservation International, Wetlands International, World Wildlife Fund, Rare Philippines, Zoological Society of London and Philippine Forest Foundation.
ephraseephraseThe coalition aims to stop mangrove loss, lobby for policies and bring good practices into communities to ensure wetlands are protected.
“We intend to be inclusive,” Annadel Cabanban, senior director of the GMA Philippine branch, said Tuesday.We want more people to help us restore mangroves in the Philippines.
Katherine Custodio, executive director of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines, said that being together under one roof gives them a clearer view of what is happening in the context of mangrove restoration in the Philippines.
“Just having these groups here, in charge of most of the mangrove planting in the country, is extremely valuable,” Custodio said.
“And with their own contributions, we hope that these efforts can be multiplied.
”These organizations operate in various mangrove forests on the northern coast of Manila Bay, as well as in Sibuguey and Macajalar bays in Mindanao.
Mangrove areas in Palawan, Albay, Misamis Oriental, areas along the Verde Island Passage are supported by various efforts of these organizations.
Besides implementing restoration programs, other organizations also focus on fish pond rehabilitation projects, compiling training materials and coastal resource management plans for communities.
Established in 2017, the global alliance includes 25 member organizations currently operating in 50 countries.
Last June, UAE Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Mohamed Obaid Salem Alqataam Alzaabi said he wanted the Philippines to become part of the GMA.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
said he believes this alliance will benefit the Philippines and even said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) would be “very happy” to participate in this global effort.
“We have put a lot of effort into preserving and restoring our mangrove ecosystem,” Marcos said last June.
“In fact, the law in the Philippines says you can’t touch the mangroves and because of that, the mangroves have grown back.
Marcos emphasized that mangrove restoration remains a major issue.
“This is a very important point for the Philippines because we have all the waterways,” he added.
Why is the mangrove protection network important in PH?
In 2020, the Forest Management Department reported that the whole country had 303,373 hectares of mangrove forests.
However, forest cover is continuously threatened by development, human activities and weather phenomena.According to GMA, aquaculture and coastal development are among the main factors contributing to the loss of mangrove forests in the country.
For a country as vulnerable to extreme weather events as the Philippines, mangroves are especially important because they can reduce flooding, mitigate storm surges and protect coastal communities.They are home to many species.
The abundant life in these wetlands provides food and income for nearby residents.
Many studies have demonstrated the carbon storage capacity of mangrove forests.
This means that their destruction would release carbon emissions into the atmosphere, thus worsening the climate crisis.
As the world races against time to mitigate the impact of climate change, nature-based solutions, such as mangroves, are being considered to help make life more sustainable.
To achieve the goal of preventing mangrove destruction and restoring damaged forests, GMA calls for accelerating the development of a national mangrove roadmap to identify important mangrove areas and develop the management of these forests.
The groups currently affiliated under the GMA said they are working with the relevant DENR offices to come up with the said roadmap.
They also called on the DENR to increase efforts towards the National Greening Program, the country’s reforestation project.
GMA is also studying the proper implementation of the Manila Bay Sustainable Development Master Plan.
Experts say mangrove restoration could help restore the country’s most important natural harbor.
However, several locations in Manila Bay are under threat due to several coastal development and reclamation projects.
