The World Bank (WB) says 44 percent of Filipinos still earnless than two dollars per day, and about two-thirds of them

are engaged in activities that rely heavily on environmental andnatural resources. It estimates that 20 million people reside in andaround forests, and 60 million live within 100 kilometers (km) ofthe Philippine coastline.

The WB cites evidence that poor people, and those whose in-come and welfare are more tightly linked to environmental andnatural resources, are disproportionately affected by the con-tinuing declines in environmental quality.

Coastal and forest communities, and residents of poorer munici-palities and rural barangays, which are under-served in the pro-vision of urban environmental services, are worst off. They alsobear the highest income losses due to sickness and medical ex-penses related to water and air pollution.

Indeed, many Filipinos depend highly on the country’s rich natu-ral resources, thus, measures must be taken to deal with the man-made and natural threats that may affect their lives and future.

All these are outlined in the Philippines Environment Monitor2004 which came out only recently. It contains the latest informa-tion on Philippine efforts in environmental conservation. It dealswith areas such as natural resources management, biodiversityconservation, solid waste, air and water pollution control andcoastal and marine management.

The document presents the environment in three colors – brown,green and blue. The brown environment includes solid waste

management, air quality, water quality, and mining related pollu-tion. The green environment includes such concerns as land use,biodiversity, and resource management, while the blue environ-ment includes coastal and marine resources.

Green Environment

Today, according to the document, of the 52 percent of thecountry’s population that lives in rural areas, 22 percent reside inor near forests. A majority of these people rely on forest re-sources for their livelihood, thus making sustainable land andforest management a critically important challenge for the Philip-pines.

Land use classification is therefore important if we want to pro-tect and conserve what remains of our forests. However, inaccu-rate information on land classification is making the task difficult,and also leads to conflicts over ownership and management,ultimately serving as a disincentive for protection.

Recent official estimates, based on the 2002 satellite images ofthe entire country, show the country’s forest cover increasing to7.168 million hectares or 24 percent of total land area in 2002.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)attributes the rise in forest cover to stronger public awarenessabout the value of forests, especially after the Ormoc flashfloodsin 1991. But this is not enough. Among 89 tropical countries, thePhilippines is one of 11 with the lowest forest per capita and mostof its watersheds are considered degraded. Land conversion isthe principal cause of deforestation; other causes include slash-and-burn farming, illegal logging, forest fires, pest infestations,and typhoons.

Another area ofconcern is landd e g r a d a t i o n .According to theenvironment monitor,of the total land area,76 percent faces someextent ofdegradation. Fortyfive percent of thetotal arable land hasbeen moderately to severely eroded, triggering the movement ofsubsistence farmers to marginal lands to meet their daily foodrequirement.

State of the Philippine Enviroment:A Progress Report

Vol. X No.43 February 15, 2006

Land degradation has played an increasingly significant role inthe incidence of natural disasters in the country during the pastdecade.

Biodiversity is one major concern under the green environmentcategory. The Philippines is one of the world’s 18 “megadiversity”countries. It has also been identified by the International Unionfor Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a biodiversity “hotspot” –a country where biodiversity is extremely threatened bydeforestation, conversion, fragmentation of natural habitats,unregulated trade, and overall low environmental quality.

The government thus aims to protect habitats and strengthenthe National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS). It listed91 critically endangered species, 74 endangered, and 253vulnerable species.

Among the various environmental resource management is beingdone through various strategies. Among these are community-based forest management, protected areas management, NGO/PO-initiated forest by non-government organizations andpeoples’ organizations, and private sector management.

In June 2004, the government issued Executive Order No. 318“Promoting Sustainable Forest Management in the Philippines”.The order identified watersheds as ecosystem management unitsto be managed through a scientific and community-basedapproach that would involve LGUs, and recognize and respectthe rights of indigenous peoples.

Brown Environment

The color brown could signify mother earth thus, inenvironmental efforts, this could mean solid waste management,mining related pollution and air and water quality.

The document states that mismanagement of waste has seriousenvironmental consequences: ground and surface watercontamination, local flooding, air pollution, exposure to toxinsand spread of disease. Many of the disposal sites containinfectious material, thus threatening sanitation workers andwaste-pickers.

Furthermore, organic waste decomposition releases greenhousegases, and burning of waste releases toxic gases. Odors fromnon-sanitary landfills can be so bad that people living in thesurrounding areas are taken ill.

Several measures have been taken to address the need for bettersolid waste management. These include solid waste generation,collection and disposal, recycling, effective treatment ofhazardous and infectious waste, community-based ecologicalwaste management and private sector initiatives in wastemanagement.

Thankfully, we now have a comprehensive air pollution controlpolicy for the country with the passage of the Clean Air Act(1999). Furthermore, active NGO initiatives have raised publicawareness on the effects that high levels of pollution could havein people’s health.

Data on surface and groundwater quality and availability indicatethat access to clean water is becoming an acute seasonal problemin many urban and coastal areas.

With the Clean Water Act, which was passed in 2004, the problemof water pollution will hopefully be effectively addressed. TheAct seeks to designate specific water quality management areas

and establishes a National Sewerage and Septage ManagementProgram that will allot funds for construction and rehabilitation ofinfrastructure for wastewater management.

Blue Environment

The color blue is associated with water or the deep blue sea, thusthe blue environment includes concerns such as the country’srich and diverse coastal and marine resources.

The Philippines’ coral reefs are among the richest and most diversein the world, with about 464 species of hard corals and more than50 species of soft corals. However, over 30 percent of the reefs inthe country are in poor condition. Moreover, there has been asteady decline in the quality of the coral reefs.

Our valuable seagrass beds have declined continuously sincethe mid-1990s. Natural causes aside, man-made impacts, especiallypopulation growth close to shallow bays, lagoons, and islandsfringed by seagrass beds have impacted seagrasses. Rising povertyin coastal areas may be contributing to shortsighted resourceoveruse and destruction. Destructive fishing and over-fishingcontinue to top the list of anthropogenic impacts on the country’sreefs and seagrass areas.

Nevertheless, the number of marine protected areas is growing.These areas are displaying improved reef parameters of livingcoral cover and fish abundance and healthy seagrass beds, bothinside and adjacent to the sanctuary portion of the protectedareas.

The fishery sector, on the other hand, contributes significantly tothe country’s GDP or gross domestic product. Exports of fisheryproducts amount to billions with the top commodity exports beingtuna, shrimp and seaweed. The fishing industry providesemployment to about one million people.

One problem that hounds this sector is resource limitations in fishcapture which could threaten its long-term sustainability. A recentstudy indicates a decline of 30 percent in selected municipalfisheries and five percent in commercial fisheries due tosedimentation, siltation, blast fishing, and muro-ami among others.The use of cyanide has also been noted as a cause of habitatdestruction.

The country has numerous laws aimed at protecting andconserving our coastal and marine resources while variouscommunity-based projects have engaged coastal residents inreforestation, rehabilitation and management efforts.

Whether it’s green, brown or blue the story remains the same. Italways starts with the fact that our resources are rich and diversebut sadly ends with the bleak forecast that without immediatemitigating measures, and a committed partnership between thelocal government and the affected communities, we are bound tolose this abundant natural richness.