Politics and Environment
INTRODUCTION
The Philippines is indeed a country that was blessed with a very rich biodiversity. It is one of the 17 countries in the world that are the richest in biodiversity. More than 52,177 species have been identified, half of them are found nowhere else in the world. But, according to the biodiversity conservation priorities of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), ‘the Philippines is one of the few countries in the world that is both a mega-diversity country and a biodiversity hotspot. It has fragile tropical ecosystems and is an outstanding biodiversity hotspot.
The DENR has described the Philippines as the ‘hottest of hotspots’ in the world in terms of threats to its ‘mega diverse’ biodiversity. It highlighted the ‘urgent need to properly manage natural resources and protect the environment’. In a once densely forested country, which today has the second lowest forest cover in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), this is not an overstatement. The loss of forest has resulted in increased flooding, devastating landslides, siltation and the destruction of biodiversity areas. Pollution is also considered as one of the country’s main problems pertaining to the environment.
Decline of Natural Resources and Biodiversity
At present, Philippines is suffering from degradation of the natural environment. It has fifty major rivers now polluted due to abuse and neglect. Approximately two-thirds of the country 's original mangroves have been lost. A hundred years ago, the Philippines had close to 22 million hectares of old growth forest. At the start of 2000, we had less than 600,000 hectares of old-growth forest left. In one century, we had cut down close to 97 percent of our original forest. A study by the Environmental Scientists for Social Change (ESSC) reveals that we have systematically cut this forest down and that we have not stopped its destruction and that of its core biodiversity.
The International Rice
The Philippines is indeed a country that was blessed with a very rich biodiversity. It is one of the 17 countries in the world that are the richest in biodiversity. More than 52,177 species have been identified, half of them are found nowhere else in the world. But, according to the biodiversity conservation priorities of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), ‘the Philippines is one of the few countries in the world that is both a mega-diversity country and a biodiversity hotspot. It has fragile tropical ecosystems and is an outstanding biodiversity hotspot.
The DENR has described the Philippines as the ‘hottest of hotspots’ in the world in terms of threats to its ‘mega diverse’ biodiversity. It highlighted the ‘urgent need to properly manage natural resources and protect the environment’. In a once densely forested country, which today has the second lowest forest cover in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), this is not an overstatement. The loss of forest has resulted in increased flooding, devastating landslides, siltation and the destruction of biodiversity areas. Pollution is also considered as one of the country’s main problems pertaining to the environment.
Decline of Natural Resources and Biodiversity
At present, Philippines is suffering from degradation of the natural environment. It has fifty major rivers now polluted due to abuse and neglect. Approximately two-thirds of the country 's original mangroves have been lost. A hundred years ago, the Philippines had close to 22 million hectares of old growth forest. At the start of 2000, we had less than 600,000 hectares of old-growth forest left. In one century, we had cut down close to 97 percent of our original forest. A study by the Environmental Scientists for Social Change (ESSC) reveals that we have systematically cut this forest down and that we have not stopped its destruction and that of its core biodiversity.
The International Rice
Cited: Chan Robles Virtual Library http://www.chanrobles.com/legal9.htm Encyclopedia of the Nations (on line) http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Philippines-ENVIRONMENT.html#b Environmental Governance. Wikipedia (on line) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_governance Environmental Governance in the Philippines by Merlin M. Magallona and Ben S. Malayang III Environmental Laws Bio427 (online) http://bio427.blogspot.com/2010/10/environmental-laws-of-philippines.html Environment Philippines (on line) http://www.environmentphilippines.com/