Biodiversity conservation priorities program launched

Conservation International Philippines, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines, and the Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund, launched recently the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Priorities Program (PBCPP) outputs at the EDSA, Shangri-la Hotel. A photo exhibit entitled "Kalikasan ay Buhay" showcased the country’s richness in biological diversity and the efforts being undertaken for their conservation and preservation. The exhibit also highlighted the photographs of Tim Laman that appeared in the National Geographic Magazine’s July 2002 issue.

The Philippines is a very important country in the world for biodiversity conservation. It is one of the few countries that are classified both as a "biodiversity hotspot" and "megadiversity" country. It is considered the hottest among the hotspots. Being a biodiversity hotspot means that it has a high biodiversity and exceptional concentrations of endemic species (species found only in one place and nowhere else), and endangered ecosystems. Its distinction of being one of the megadiversity countries lies in its more than 52, 177 described species of plants and animals, of which more than half is found only in the Philippines.

Philippine biodiversity, however, is facing a tremendous threat brought about by habitat destruction, over exploitation, biological pollution and chemical/ environmental pollution. Destructive and unsustainable practices such as land conversion, logging, inappropriate fishing methods, and population pressure are hastening its biological loss.

These conditions are the priority concerns of the PBCPP. The program mobilizes over 300 local and international scientists from more than 100 institutions in the government, NGOs, academe, civil society, and donor communities.

The results of the PBCPP represent the national consensus of the country’s experts in biological and social sciences on the priorities and strategies for the country’s biodiversity conservation.

The PBCPP reported that they launched the following key outputs: 1) Re-assessment and update of the terrestial and marine biogeographic regions; 2) Identification of 206 biodiversity conservation priority areas; 3) Identification of five strategic actions needed to be implemented in the conservation priority areas; 4) Identification of marine and terrestial biodiversity corridors; and 50 state-of-the-art assessments for each thematic group.