Local communities enjoined to adopt coral reef-friendly practicesContacts:
In Manila: Leonora Aquino-Gonzales (632) 917-3003
E-mail: lgonzales@worldbank.org
Anissa Tria (632) 917-3013
E-mail: atria2@worldbank.org
In Washington: Mohamad Al-Arief (202) 458-5964
E-mail: malarief@worldbank.org MANILA, August 17, 2006 — A joint report of the World Bank and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is calling on local communities and the public to save coastal and marine resources from degradation, which threatens not just the coastal communities but the national economy as well. The country’s coastal and marine resources are considered to be the richest in marine biodiversity in the world. The Philippines Environment Monitor 2005 on Coastal and Marine Resource Management (PEM 2005) is enjoining local governments to adopt an integrated approach to managing resources to address the various threats to coastal ecosystems, including poor water quality, eroding coastlines, and over-harvested fish stocks. The report said it is important to promote environment-friendly practices, including reducing fishing effort to allow degraded stocks to recover, and to provide alternative livelihoods that generate income especially for the poor coastal communities while reducing pressure on coastal resources. The environmental losses affect not just coastal communities but also the national economy. “The economic costs of environmental degradation of coastal and marine resources are significant,” says Jitendra Shah, World Bank Country Sector Coordinator and Team Leader for the PEM. “The economic benefits of Philippine coastal resources are estimated at PhP180 billion (US$3.5 billion) per year. Coral reefs alone contribute about 1.4 percent of GDP, and it is estimated that one square kilometer of healthy coral reef generates an estimated PhP2.5 million (US$50,000) from fishing and tourism. Yet habitat loss, unsustainable fishing practices (e.g., use of dynamite and cyanide), and continuing trade in endangered marine species are increasingly threatening coastal biodiversity and livelihoods.” The economic loss of over-fishing is estimated at about PhP6.5 billion (US$125 million) per year in lost fish catch. In the 1990s, red tides, which are harmful algal blooms largely caused by increasing pollution loads, have cost the economy about PhP1.6 billion (US$30 million) yearly in export losses. The human toll is also significant: Premature deaths among the working population due to water pollution in Manila Bay have an immeasurable human impact and are estimated to cause productivity losses of PhP310 million (US$6 million) per year. Moreover, coastal communities that depend directly on fish and other coastal and marine resources for their livelihood are among the poorest in the Philippines, with 4 of 10 coastal residents living under the poverty line. According to the PEM 2005, annual household income levels of coastal residents are as low as PhP24,000, compared to the national average of PhP144,000. Philippine coastal waters contain some of the world’s most diverse ecosystems and its waters are characterized by extensive coral reefs, sea grass beds, dense mangrove forests, and pristine and beautiful beaches. The country stretches 2,000 kilometers from north to south and consists of 7,100 islands with a total coastline of 36,289 kilometers, one of the longest in the world. Healthy coastal and marine ecosystems can provide the Philippines a sustainable supply of goods—such as fish and related products, seaweeds, algae and salt—and services, such as shoreline protection, maintaining water quality, sustaining biodiversity, transportation, and recreation. However, according to the report, only four to five percent of coral reefs are still in excellent condition. More than 70 percent of the nation’s mangrove forests, essential nursery grounds for reef fish as well as other commercial species of economic and ecological value, have been converted for aquaculture, logging, or other uses, and half of the seagrass beds have either been lost or severely degraded. Coral reefs depend on connections between mangroves and seagrass beds for new recruits and other forms of energy and nutrients. They also help maintain water clarity. Therefore, the loss of mangroves and seagrass beds is a major blow to adjacent coral reefs even if they remain intact. Protecting these habitats from physical alteration as well as from excessive harvesting of resources is essential to maintaining the health and productivity of the entire coastal ecosystem. Despite the serious problems, the PEM 2005 also points at proven ways to protect the coastal and marine resources and local livelihoods, including those implemented in the province of Bohol, Gilutongan Island, and Apo Island. During a workshop supported by the Global Environment Fund/World Bank Coral Reef Targeted Research and Capacity Building for Management Program held in Alaminos City, Pangasinan on August 9, 2006, mayors from over a dozen coastal municipalities in Northwestern Luzon were consulted on “coral reef-friendly practices” designed to improve the way coastal towns and municipalities are run so that administration of economic sectors such as agriculture, water, fisheries, infrastructure, tourism and urban development does not harm coral reefs. “Adopting these coastal-friendly practices is good not only for coral reefs, but for the development of coastal cities and the well being of their citizens,” said Joachim von Amsberg, World Bank Philippines Country Director. ### Electronic copies of the PEM 2005 may be downloaded from www.worldbank.org.ph/pem.
Printed copies will soon be available in Knowledge for Development Centers (KDCs) nationwide. Once finalized, a list of coral reef friendly practices for local government will be available
on the CRTR Project website, at http://www.gefcoral.org.
For more information on World Bank-assisted projects and programs in the Philippines,
visit www.worldbank.org.ph
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