The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is exploring a potential partnership with global conservation organization World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to boost efforts toward preserving the country’s rich biological diversity and protecting threatened species and their habitats amid climate change.
DENR Secretary Antonia Loyzaga addressed over 150 WWF International leaders from 80 countries during the 2023 WWF Annual Conference held in Puerto Princesa, Palawan on May 25. Founded in 1961, WWF is the world’s leading independent conservation organization that aims to conserve and restore biodiversity, and ensure the sustainable use of natural resources to support current and future generations.
Leaders included newly-appointed WWF International President Dr. Adil Najam, Director General Dr. Kirsten Shujit, President ad interim Neville Isdell, and WWF Philippines Chairperson Maribel Garcia and Executive Director Trin Custodio. Joining them were WWF International Board Member and former Department of Energy Secretary Vince Perez.
DENR Secretary Antonia Loyzaga said that while the Philippines is one of the 18 mega-biodiverse countries and considered to be the richest marine ecoregion on the planet, it is also one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots with at least 700 threatened species.
“We must now prioritize restoration of degraded areas to prevent and reverse species loss, and work together towards investing in the regeneration of life on land and below water to achieve a nature-positive world,” Loyzaga said during her keynote speech.
“I would like to extend an invitation to WWF to work with the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, the Manila Observatory, and the DENR on climate change-related species vulnerability analysis by biogeographic region using high-resolution scenarios, and the adoption of threatened endemic species in order to move them away from the threat of extinction,” she added.
Loyzaga also urged WWF to work with DENR on innovative approaches for corporate responsibilities through the adoption of spatial finance.
According to Loyzaga, a whole-of-society approach is needed to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, accelerate climate action, and strengthen disaster resilience which are key components of the Philippine Development Plan.
“We must ensure a balance between advancing human development and protecting biodiversity, and the DENR is committed to investing in urgent and transformative change to address the intersecting crises of biodiversity loss and climate change,” she said, noting that achieving resilient and sustainable development can only be realized through concerted efforts and the sustained commitment of all.
In 2010, the DENR issued its Administrative Order No. 2010-16 which established the “Adopt-A-Wildlife Species Program” pursuant to the Republic Act No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act. This Order aims to ensure the perpetuity of threatened species, and protection of their habitats; promote biodiversity conservation and prevent species extinction through an active participation of stakeholders, and raise awareness on the countries’ threatened wildlife species, among others.
Moreover, the DENR and its partners in government, private sector, development partners and civil society groups are implementing programs to fulfill the country’s global commitments under the Global Biodiversity Framework, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. These include USAID Philippines Sustainable Interventions for Biodiversity, Oceans, and Landscapes (SIBOL), Protect Wildlife Project, and collaboration with private sector organizations. This includes collaboration with Energy Development Corporation, Ayala Group, and Prime Infra on GHG and biodiversity inventories, climate disaster risk management programs, research, monitoring, reforestation, watershed area protection, and new remote sensing technologies, to name a few. #
Published: 29 May 2023
