Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

The Philippines holds the third largest coral reef area in the world, a total area of 22,500 km 2 , representing 9 per cent of the total coral reef area globally [ ] 182 Recognition of the role of indigenous peoples in governance Biodiversity in the Philippines has been successfully implanted at the local levels. Traditional governance, as practised in Indigenous Commu- nity Conservation Areas (ICCAs), has long played a direct role in the con- servation and maintenance of eco- systems and the species that inhabit them. There is increasing recognition of ICCAs by the international com- munity, the national government and by the indigenous peoples of their role in this new governance regime. A national consortium, Koalisyon Ng Katutubo at Samahan Ng Pilipi- nas (KASAPI), has been designated to establish the ICCA Network in the Philippines. More indigenous peoples’ communities have expressed a wish to have their own ICCAs doc- umented and mapped. Through the New Conservation Areas in the Phil- ippines Project (NewCAPP), the ex- perience of the recognition of ICCAs was presented during COP11 and was cited as pioneering and as one of the best practices in global initiatives on the recognition of ICCAs as a viable parallel approach to the governance of Protected Areas (PAs) and in the achievement of Aichi targets. Aside from ICCA recognition, the role of Local Government Units (LGUs) in local legislation and partnership with stakeholders in this effort are being strengthened. The conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity concerns all stake- holders. It is important to harness the cooperation of LGUs and local stakeholders’ organizations in the implementation of biodiversity–relat- ed programmes. This is addressed by ensuring that biodiversity conserva- tion is mainstreamed into the LGUs’ governance system, particularly in decision making, land use plan- ning, zoning, investment planning and programme implementation. This also helps institutionalize the co-management of PAs, KBAs and Critical Habitats between the Depart- ment of Environment and Natural Resources and LGUs. Through the Biodiversity Part- nerships Project, a framework and methods for mainstreaming biodi- versity into the Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUP) of LGUs has been prepared as a supplementary guide to LGUs. Among the various land use management options proposed to conserve biodiversity are: the assess- ment of the long-term implications of existing land uses on PAs, key biodiversity areas (KBAs) and critical habitats (CHs); integration of PAs, KBAs and CH zoning with Com- prehensive Land Use Plan zoning; monitoring of KBAs and CHs and limiting agriculture and settlements to multiple use zones of PAs; and relocation of incompatible land uses within and in the periphery of CHs, KBA protection areas and PA core or strict protection zones. It is hoped that pilot LGUs will integrate and mainstream biodiversity into their land use planning process and that positive outcomes are realized. T he Philippines in an archipelagic country with a total coastline of 37,008 km. With more than 60 per cent of the country’s total population living in coastal areas, many small-scale artisanal, subsistence and commercial fishers depend on coastal and marine ecosystems like mangroves, coral reefs and their associated ecosystems as a source of food and livelihood. The country has a total land area of about 30 million ha, 5.45 million ha or 14.2 per cent of the total area of the country are protected areas, 4.07 million ha or 13.57 per cent are terrestrial areas, while 1.38 million ha or 0.63 per cent are marine areas. El Nido, Star Beach Cris Tagupa on Unsplash Philippines