Degradation and Rehabilitation

    One of the very serious problems not only in our country, but all over the world is DEGRADATION. It is the wearing down of the land by the erosive action of water or wind. We have this adverse environmental issue and problems, which will serve as a driving force that result to environmental conservation and sustainable development. This means that people must collaborate and work hand in hand with the goal to save Mother Earth. We must adopt new values, change our habits and lifestyle towards the preservation and conservation of the environment. These are the requirements to obtain environmental awareness, consciousness, and understanding.

    In the Philippines, there are various types of degradation. Here are some of the many types: Loss of Forest Cover, Degradation of Coral Reefs, Threats to Mangroves, and Loss of Biodiversity. From 2000-2005, the Philippines lost over 2% of it's forest cover a year. Illegal collection and exportation of corals and live reef fish has resulted in significant harmful and damaging effects on biodiversity, coral reef condition, sea grass cover and fish numbers. Threats to mangroves include over-harvesting, pollution, and land clearance for agriculture and human settlement. The rate of biodiversity loss is reflected in some shocking findings collected over the years. As of 2006, just over 20 percent of vertebrate species were rated as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Around 127 bird species are considered threatened and the native Philippine cockatoo, once widespread, is now critically endangered.

    Fortunately, there are some measures taken by the people towards ecological rehabilitation. For the loss of forest cover, a mining forest program with 79 participating companies began reforesting 10,319 hectares of mine and afforesting non-mining disturbed areas with 9.3 million seedlings. For the degradation of coral reefs, Republic Act 8550, also known as the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, was enacted during the Ramos administration (1992-1998). It prohibits the gathering, possessing, selling or exporting of coral reefs in any form. It bans all fishing methods and gears that physically destroy coral reefs and other marine habitats, and it also offers the legal basis for protection of marine and terrestrial species that are rare, threatened or endangered. For the threats to mangrove, ZSL started its mangrove rehabilitation work in 2007 through the Community-based Mangrove Rehabilitation Project (CMRP), with the aim of increasing coastal protection, food resources and diversifying livelihood options. Over a four year period, close to 100,000 mangroves were planted, with the rehabilitation of 107.8 hectares of mangrove forest well underway. And last but not the least, for the loss of biodiversity, conservation and protection measures have been taken in the form of cave and wetland management, proclamation of protected areas and critical habitats, and establishment of protected areas and zones. A total of 111 protected areas (terrestrial and marine) have been proclaimed since the passage of the National Integrated Protected Areas System(NIPAS) Act in 1992, covering 3.53 million hectares. Terrestrial areas cover 2.16 million hectares or 7.2 percent of the land area, and marine areas cover 1.371 million hectares or 0.69 percent of the total sea area of the country.

                                   

   

Before and After