As one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world, the Philippines hosts between 70 to 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity. Ironically, however, it is now also one of the world’s biodiversity “hotspots” with its highly diverse ecosystems, species, habitats, and landscapes still not adequately being protected and conserved.
In fact, did you know that in about 40 years, the country’s remaining forest cover could soon be wiped out if no urgent and decisive actions are taken to stop its current pace of deforestation?
Here’s the good news: For the first time since the National Integrated Protected Areas System Law was enacted in 1992 to ensure the conservation of the country’s biodiversity, a nationwide study has been conducted on the management effectiveness of a large sample (25%) of the 240 protected areas (PA) in the Philippines. The results will be presented to the public through a national conference to be attended by government officials, policy-makers, environmental groups and the scientific community on January 15, 2014.
The study entitled “National Management Effectiveness and Capacity Assessment” (NMECA) was jointly undertaken by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) supported by the German government’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The study report assesses the management effectiveness of 61 protected areas in the Philippines conducted by several teams of environmental and organizational experts from April to December 2013.
The report was made through applying an enhanced Protected Area Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) featuring key informant interviews, validation meetings, focus group discussions, and consultations with local stakeholders including the DENR, local government units and civil society organizations in each of 61 PAs. These results were then summarized into six cluster reports which were then distilled and analysed into one national report.
After its presentation, the same report is expected to be used as a springboard and basis for future interventions in PA management in the country.
The study is part of a joint undertaking wherein the German government, through the GIZ, is providing a technical assistance grant worth Php450 million for a 4.5-year partnership with the DENR. The assistance aims to further strengthen the management of protected areas in the Philippines through the Protected Area Management Enhancement (PAME) project.