The Role of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Reserves in

Climate Change Adaptation: Experience from Palawan

Biosphere Reserve in the Philippines

Presented by:

JOHN FRANCISCO A. PONTILLAS

RYAN T. FUENTES

JOHN FRANCISCO A. PONTILLAS

MICHAEL D. PIDO

PALAWAN COUNCIL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STAFF & PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Present the ongoing initiatives of Palawan

Biosphere Reserve with respect to climate

change issue, and

the challenges and opportunities encountered

by Palawan BR managers in the pursuit of

sustainable development

Aims

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

PALAWAN BIOSPHERE RESERVE

666,338 has. of terrestrial

forest cover (2005), or 9.5%

of the forest cover of the

Philippines

58,400 has. mangrove forest

(2005), the highest mangrove

assemblage in the country, or

40% of the extent of

mangroves in the Philippines

high concentration of

endemic plants and animals

Characteristics of Palawan BR

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

New species are still being discovered …

Spectacular species of pitcher plant

(Nepenthes attenboroughii),

Robinson et al. 2009

New forest gecko

(Luperosaurus gulat),

Brown et al. 2010

Natural resources

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

rich fishing grounds

outstanding ecosystems –

limestone formations, long

beaches, coral reefs

onshore mineral deposits –

nickel, gold, manganese

fossil fuels in offshore areas –

oil, natural gas

• 970,232 (2007) projected population

• 3.64% Annual population growth rate (1995-2000)

• Approximately 12 in-migrants in every 36 individuals added to our population annually

• 53 ethnolinguistic groups

• 3 indigenous peoples group

…and Our PEOPLE

1982 – Integrated Environmental Program under Palawan

Integrated Area Development Project Office with

funding from EEC (EU); a province-wide study on the

appropriate course of development for Palawan was

undertaken

1983, 1985 – formulation of a comprehensive plan to

balance development and environmental protection

1987 – Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) Draft was

finalized

1990 – Palawan was inscribed as one of the biosphere

reserves of UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program

1992 – passage of the SEP Law in Congress

The Road to UNESCO MAB and

SEP Law

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

The central strategy of the SEP Law is a zoning

strategy called the ECAN: Environmentally Critical

Areas Network

ECAN is a graded system of protection and

development control over the whole province

Method / Primary strategy: ZONING

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

ECAN zonesTerrestrial Core Zone

Multiple Use Zone

Restricted Use Area

Controlled Use Area

Traditional Use Area

Coastal Core Zone

Transition/Buffer Area

Sustainable/General Use Area

Buffer Zone

Multiple use Zone

Core zone

Restricteduse

area

Controlleduse area

Traditionaluse area

Multiple use

zone

1,000 meters

& above500 – 1000 m

300 – 500 m 100 – 300 m

100 m

& below

50% slope & above(Broken)

36 – 50%(Steep)

18 – 36%(Rugged) 8 – 18%

(Moderate)

Topography

0 – 8%(Flat toGentle)

Elevation and slope are used as parameters in the mapping of ECAN zones

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Overlay analysis using GIS

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

The “ecanization” of Palawan is defined

as “the process of delineating and

marking the boundaries of the different

zones in both land and sea, the

identification of prescribed activities

and resource use for each zone,

together with the enforcement of

regulatory measures to prevent

practices that are destructive of the

environment” (1994 PCSD Resolution)

Terrestrial

ECAN zones

map of

Palawan*

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

ECAN helps cushion the adverse impacts

of climate change

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Mapping of ECAN zones is compatible with identifying

ecological/biodiversity “hotspots” because “habitat of

endangered species” is one of the criteria or areas in

need of immediate protection and conservation.

ECAN zoning is a way of identifying hazard-prone

areas as physical parameters are used in its mapping.

ECAN zones can be an indicator of suitability for land

use activities and a decision-support framework in

determining the optimal location for various

development options, such as ecotourism, agriculture,

and housing.

State of Palawan forests

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

In the span of 60 years (from 1946 to 2005), the forest

cover of Palawan was reduced in half!

YEAR FOREST COVER

OF PALAWAN

(hectares)

PERCENTAGE

1946 1.3 million 89%

1983 779,600 68%

2005 666,338 46%

State of Palawan forests

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

YEAR FOREST

COVER

OF

PALAWAN

(hectares)

Hectares

Loss

(Total)

%

Loss

Between

years

Average Annual

Rate of

Loss

(hectares)

1946 1.3

million

1992 738,886 561,114 43.16% 12,198

2005 666,338 72,500 9.81% 5,577

The IEP reported an alarming decline

of 19,000 hectares per year from 1979

to 1984.

Carbon sequestration in Palawan forests

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Carbon stock values of different forest cover

in Palawan Province (2010)Forest cover Carbon

density*

(tC/ha)

Area

(hectares)

Total Carbon

stock

(million tons)

Value at

US$15/tC

(trillion

pesos)**

Old growth

forest

349.81 189,771.8 66.4 41.8

Mossy forest 204.25 21,600.8 4.4 2.8

Residual forest 336.4 373,278.2 125.6 79.1

Mangrove 174.9 58,399.6 10.2 6.4

643,050.4 206.6 130.1

* Values from Lasco et al. 1999 as cited in Cruz et al. 2008.

** 1 US$ : PhP 42

Economic

industries co-

existing

with protected

areas

Challenge to ECAN: Highly Extractive

Industries…Mining

Challenge to ECAN: Highly Extractive

Industries…Live Reef Fish Industry

Management implications:

ECAN as a spatial strategy

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Resilience, representativenes and protection of

ecosystems are some of the benefits that the zonation

of ECAN bestows upon the environment.

In the Palawan BR, the connectivity cycle can be

extended to the linkage of the economy and

environment as both are not mutually exclusive but

rather mutually reinforcing concerns.

ECAN then acts as a dual blanket of protection to life-

support and economic systems.

As an evolving zoning strategy, it has the adaptability

to be integrated into any planning and regulatory

frameworks and management schemes. It is scalable

since it can be adapted from small areas to large scale

ones.

Management implications:

ECAN as a spatial strategy

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

A key consideration is the island character of the

Palawan BR that makes it susceptible to sea level rise

and storm surges.

Conflicts in land use and natural resource utilization

are foreseen to escalate given the increasing national

and international demand for both renewable and non-

renewable resources.

The challenge remains in the governance aspect. The

primary need of governance in Palawan is the

maximization of political will to continue to develop

industries that are environment-friendly and

economically attractive.

Protected areas should be acknowledge as part and

parcel of economic

Management implications:

ECAN as a spatial strategy

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Two major constraints to the sustainable development of

Palawan:

heavy reliance on activities that are extractive of

natural resource base, and

the kind of priorities and utilization that the

government pursues in terms of public sector

investments.

Quaternary

sector

Secondary

sector

Primary

sector

Creation and marketing

of carbon sinks Ensure that

CLWUPs contain

specialized

macro-industries

for each

municipality.

Assessment of urban

centers

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Tertiary

sector Sourcing of

renewable energy;

building of energy

efficient facilities

Management implications:

Four main sectors of economic activities

Promote tourist

destinations

Prevent the creation of

passive service areas or the

economically “dead zones.”

Building information and

communication technology

(ICT) highways

Develop air and

seaport facilities

in Palawan

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Biosphere reserves and the strategy

of ECAN zoning are established to

demonstrate the harmonious co-

existence between humans and their

environment especially in the face of

the negative impacts of unequivocal

climate change.

This co-existence is already

happening in Palawan BR, to some

extent.

The optimal functionality of ECAN

still requires a more efficient

allocation of political will and the

build-up and strengthening of its

social capital – its people.

FINAL WORDS

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

FINAL WORDS

CC ADAPTATION AND

SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT

FOR

PALAWAN BR

Socio-Economic System

Ecological System

Political

System

International Conference on Biodiversity and Climate Change, 01-03 February 2010, Manila, Philippines

1Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff, 2Palawan State University

The Role of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Reserves

in Climate Change Adaptation: Experience from

Palawan Biosphere Reserve in the Philippines

Ryan T. Fuentes1, John Francisco A. Pontillas1,and Michael D. Pido2

john_pontillas2001@yahoo.com/oed@pcsd.ph/www.pcsd.ph

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Land cover is derived from interpretation of satellite imageries

Core zone

Restricteduse

area

Controlleduse area

Traditionaluse area

Multiple use

zone

Primary forests &

Mangroves

Residual

forests

Brushland,

Residual

forests

Brushland,

Grassland,

Agricultural areas

Built-up &

Settlements

(A & D lands)

MaximumArea of

Protection

WatershedProtection

ControlledLogging &

Mining

StableAgriculture

Land cover

SustainableProjects;

Industrialization

Quaternary

sector

Secondary

sector

Primary

sector

Production and extraction

of raw materials

Manufacturing

and utilizing raw

materials derived

from the primary

sector

Service sector

BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Tertiary

sector

R & D needed to

produce products

from raw materials

Management implications:

Four main sectors of economic activities