WASHINGTON, September 17, 2009— The World Bank has approved today a $6.3 million (about PhP305 million) grant for a project that aims to conserve critical coastal and marine biodiversity in targeted sites in Mindanao, complemented by sustainable land management in linked upland areas.
Specifically, the grant from the Global Environment Facility will support the National Resource Management (NRM) component under the second phase of the Mindanao Rural Development Project (MRDP2) funded by the World Bank. The MRDP2 is the second five-year phase of a 12 to 15-year program designed to reduce poverty in Mindanao, promote growth with social inclusion, and strengthen decentralization, devolution, and collaboration between the national government and local government units.
“For 14 years now, fishing accounts for an average of 4 percent of the total gross domestic product (GDP) of the country, and accounted for about 20 percent of gross value added in the agriculture, fishery and forestry sectors. That would seem small compared with the more hi-technology sectors like financial services, but in Mindanao, these sectors are even more important as they accounted for one-third of the Mindanao Region’s GDP,” explained Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap.
“Environmental risks like climate change are weighing down heavily on natural ecosystems in Mindanao on which many local communities depend. This is a great tragedy because the Philippines has been identified to have a biodiversity that is among the world’s richest. We need all the help we can get for our people in the South to fully benefit from and sustain such a rich biodiversity,” Secretary Yap added.
By the end of the grant, the World Bank and the National Government expect fish population in 11 municipalities to increase significantly (as indicated by a 30 percent rise in fish biomass and density in project sites), reduce silt and sediment in targeted coastal areas by 10 percent, and build up live coral and sea grass cover by 10 percent. The project is also designed to expand the number of protected mangrove areas in the covered municipalities and heighten public awareness and community participation in protecting endangered species by 20 percent.
“Almost one-third of the Philippines’ poor is in Mindanao and the health of the island’s seas and forests is critical to their livelihood. This grant is another example of the World Bank’s commitment to support the government in realizing its goal of inclusive growth through better natural resource management,” World Bank Country Director Bert Hofman said.
The grant has several components, namely:
Participatory national resource management planning and policy development. This would strengthen the capacity of LGUs and communities to plan and manage their natural resources, for example, in preparing land use plans among barangays with participation from the community.
Selective on-the-ground investments on coastal and marine sustainable land management practices. This would support community efforts in coastal and marine biodiversity conservation, as well as sustainable land management through an integrated ecosystems approach. Some of the activities under this component involves establishment of fish sanctuaries and marine protected areas and mangrove reforestation.
Assistance to the development of sustainable income generating activities. This will provide capital and know-how on alternative livelihoods that do not hurt the environment.
Strengthening the community’s environmental monitoring capabilities. Key activities under this component will be getting the community to organize working Bantay Dagat or Bantay Gubat movements, actively participating Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management councils, and forging partnership agreements with the academe, community, religious groups, and enforcement agencies in monitoring the environment.
Improving the public’s awareness on biodiversity conservation. Given Mindanao’s dependence on coastal and marine resources, communities need to understand the importance of biodiversity conservation. This component aims to create more information materials on biodiversity and lessons learned from best practices.
The MRDP project that began in 2000 demonstrates the Government’s and the World Bank’s long-term commitment in addressing these problems.
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