– DR. VONG SOK, HEAD OF ENVIRONMENT DIVISION AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT THE ASEAN SECRETARIAT, AND STAFF;
– REPRESENTATIVES OF ASEAN PEATLAND PARTNERS FROM: THE EUROPEAN UNION; THE EMBASSY OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, THE GIZ OR THE GERMAN AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, THE INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT, THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT CENTRE, THE CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL FORESTRY RESEARCH, THE INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE, AND THE WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE;
– DELEGATES FROM ASEAN MEMBER STATES: BRUNEI DARUSSALAM, CAMBODIA, INDONESIA, LAO P-D-R, MALAYSIA, /MYANMAR, SINGAPORE, THAILAND, VIETNAM AND THE PHILIPPINES;
– OFFICIALS AND COLLEAGUES FROM THE BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION AND DENR
– LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
GOOD DAY, EVERYONE!
ON BEHALF OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES // AND THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES, I WARMLY WELCOME ALL OF YOU TO THE 6TH MEETING OF THE ASEAN TASK FORCE ON PEATLANDS AND THE 3RD PROGRAMME STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS OF THE ASEAN REGIONAL PROGRAMME AND PROJECT ON PEATLANDS.
WE ARE HONORED TO HOST, FOR THE SECOND TIME, THE A-T-F-P REGIONAL MEETING.
BACK IN 2003, WE COMMITTED TO ADDRESS HAZE POLLUTION, THROUGH THE ASEAN AGREEMENT ON TRANSBOUNDARY HAZE POLLUTION. THAT WAS A MILESTONE IN OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORT TO RESPOND TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS BESETTING OUR REGION, ESPECIALLY ONE WHICH IS TRANSBOUNDARY IN SCOPE.
WE RECOGNIZED THAT THE PROTECTION OF PEATLANDS IS A CRUCIAL INTERVENTION IN PREVENTING HAZE POLLUTION, AS WELL AS IN MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE.
ALTHOUGH COVERING ONLY 3% OF THE EARTH’S LAND SURFACE, PEATLANDS CAN STORE TWICE AS MUCH CARBON AS ALL OF THE EARTH’S FORESTS COMBINED, IF PEATLANDS ARE KEPT IN THEIR NATURAL STATE.
THERE ARE AROUND 27.4 MILLION HECTARES OF PEATLANDS IN THE ASEAN REGION. THESE COMPRISE 56% OF GLOBAL TROPICAL PEATLANDS, AND STORE AN ESTIMATED 68 BILLION TONS OF CARBON, OR 14% OF THE CARBON STORED IN PEATLANDS GLOBALLY.
THIS IS WHY PROTECTING PEATLANDS IN OUR REGION IS OF GLOBAL SIGNIFICANCE. KEEPING ASEAN PEATLANDS IN THEIR NATURAL STATE, HOWEVER, IS A GREAT CHALLENGE, GIVEN POPULATION PRESSURES AND THE COMPETITION OVER THE USES OF LAND AND WATER RESOURCES THAT THEY GENERATE.
IN ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE, WE ADOPTED THE 2006-2020 ASEAN PEATLAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, AS THE GUIDING FRAMEWORK IN PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF PEATLANDS THROUGH COLLECTIVE ACTIONS AND ENHANCED COOPERATION TO SUPPORT AND SUSTAIN LOCAL LIVELIHOODS, AND REDUCE RISK OF FIRE AND ASSOCIATED HAZE.
OUR REGIONAL COOPERATION WAS ENHANCED IN 2009 WITH THE CONVENING OF THE ASEAN TASK FORCE ON PEATLAND, WHOSE MEMBERS, WHO ARE WITH US TODAY, REMAIN RESOLUTE IN FACILITATING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE A-P-M-S.
ACCORDINGLY, I COMMEND THE NATIONAL FOCAL POINTS OF THE ASEAN PEATLAND TASK FORCE FOR THEIR DEDICATION IN IMPLEMENTING THE A-P-M-S.
AS HOST OF THE A-T-F-P-6, WE TAKE PRIDE IN PROVIDING THE TASK FORCE AND ITS CONSERVATION PARTNERS A VENUE FOR INFORMATION EXCHANGE // AND EXPLORING WAYS AND MEANS TO FURTHER ENHANCE EFFORTS IN THE PROTECTION, CONSERVATION // AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF ASEAN PEATLANDS.
WE HOPE THAT THE PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS WILL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ISSUES AND CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING REGIONAL PEATLAND PROGRAMS // SUCH AS THE MEKONG PEATLAND PROJECTS, THE SUSTAINABLE USE OF PEATLAND, HAZE MITIGATION, AND MEASURABLE ACTIONS FOR HAZE-FREE SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.
DESPITE THE CURRENT PANDEMIC THAT HINDERS US FROM DOING IN-PERSON MEETINGS, I AM OPTIMISTIC THAT THROUGH THESE VIRTUAL SESSIONS WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONCRETELY CHART THE WAY FORWARD FOR OUR REGIONAL PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS IN PEATLAND MANAGEMENT.
NOW, MORE THAN EVER, WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR PEATLANDS AS NATURAL DEFENDERS AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE. LET US SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AN IMPACT AND A DIFFERENCE FOR PEATLANDS.
THANK YOU AND MABUHAY!
