Report on the Management PROTECTING Effectiveness and KEY BIODIVERSITY AREAS Capacity through Better Management and Protected Area Enactment of Protected Areas in the Philippines Imprint As a federally owned enterprise, GIZ supports the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. This project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag. Published by: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Registered offices Bonn and Eschborn GIZ-BMUB Office Quezon City, Philippines T +63 2 426 02 39 E: [email protected] I: www.giz.de Responsible Berthold Schirm Protected Area Management Enhancement (PAME) Project Principal Advisor and Program Coordinator E: [email protected] Authors: Rhea Claire Madarang, Andre Jon Uychiaoco, Berthold Schirm, Aldrin Mallari and Eddie Quitoriano, Manila Philippines Design and Layout: Ryan G. Palacol and Opalyn Agulay, Manila Philippines Photo credits/sources: All photos herein are by GIZ and of its partners, unless indicated otherwise. Maps: The map printed here is intended only for information purposes and in no way constitutes recognition under international law of boundaries and territories. GIZ accepts no responsibility for the map being entirely up to date, correct or complete. All liability for any damage, direct or indirect, resulting from its use is excluded. GIZ is responsible for the content of this publication. Place and date of publication: Manila, Philippines, 2017 PROTECTING KEY BIODIVERSITY AREAS through Better Management and Protected Area Enactment Report on the Management Effectiveness and Capacity of Protected Areas in the Philippines TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables & Figures iv 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND KEY RECOMMENDATIONS 1 1.1 Management effectiveness increase in 60 existing PAs and 3 55 new protected areas established have contributed to the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016’s goals 1.2 Recommendations to sustain increasing management 3 effectiveness and conservation outcomes 2 BACKGROUND AND GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE 5 2.1 Increase in global human well-being has been impacting the 6 environment 2.2 Nations around the world commit to protect biodiversity and 6 sustain human development 2.3 Protected areas are a proven tool for environmental conservation 8 and economic growth 2.4 Biodiversity-rich and vulnerable Philippines acting to conserve 9 biodiversity and to contribute to human development 2.5 Need to improve management of existing PAs and establish new 10 ones in biodiversity-rich areas 3 THE PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT ENHANCEMENT 12 PROJECT 3.1 Aim to increase management effectiveness in 60 protected areas 13 and establish 100 new protected areas in Key Biodiversity Areas 3.2 Situational analysis: Need for improved legislation, basis 15 (ecosystem services benefits from PAs), partnerships, resources, capacity and information for more effective PA management 3.3 Approach: Programmatic capacity development including 16 mentoring until delivery of outputs 3.4 Approach: Supporting a national roadmap and framework to 17 improve coordination between national and local PA planning 3.5 Approach: Providing assistance to priority KBAs in need of 18 support and those with underrepresented ecosystems (e.g. caves and freshwater) through a Partnership Fund to support local PA-specific initiatives and expert monitoring in pilot-testing the integrated ridge-to-reef planning approach for establishing PAs 4 RESULTS 19 4.1 Average management effectiveness increased in more than 60 20 existing PAs and 55 new PAs were established 5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 38 5.1 The Project has generally achieved its objectives and contributed 39 to the PDP 2011-2016 5.2 Sustain and take forward gains 39 6 GOOD PRACTICES: PAME STORIES ON THE GROUND 41 7 ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND ANNEXES 48 LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES Table 1. PAME Project Outcome Indicators 13 Table 2. PAME Capacity Development Program Topics 17 Table 3. Total number of hectarage of PAME supported PA sites 20 Table 4. PAME Project Outcome Indicators with Results 21 Table 5. List of 64 existing Protected Areas (PAME 60) with their Total METT 23 scores in 2013 and 2017 Table 6. List of 100 new and proposed Protected Areas (PAME 100) with their 25 Total METT or MEAT scores Table 7. Number of sites reporting various dimensions of improved protection 35 of species biodiversity Table 8. Summary of analysis based on the six elements of PA management. 36 Figure 1. PAME Project site map 14 Figure 2: Spiderweb graph showing PAME 60 and PAME 100 scores 22 from 2013 to 2017 Figure 3. PAME Capacity Development 31 iv Report on the Management Effectiveness and Capacity of Protected Areas in the Philippines EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND KEY RECOMMENDATIONS 1 Protecting Key Biodiversity Areas through Better Management and Protected Area Enactment 1 The world’s growing population and economy are causing adverse impacts to the environment, that, when not decisively addressed, will have irreversible effects on the planet by 2050. Massive deforestation, land degradation, and destruction of coral reefs, among other environmental stressors, continue, also dramatically affecting people’s livelihoods. Climate change only worsens the impact. The United Nations (UN) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), though, recognize that economic progress and environmental conservation can go hand in hand. With this urgent need for immediate and large-scale action for the environment, countries around the world committed to the Aichi Biodiversity Targets in 2011 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Aichi Target #11 particularly aims to have at least 17% of terrestrial and inland water and 10% of coastal and marine areas in the world conserved through effectively managed protected areas. Establishing protected areas (PAs) is a key solution to achieve both environmental protection and sustainable economic growth. When properly managed, a PA’s flora and fauna are well- preserved. And, as these flora and fauna thrive, ecosystem goods and services for humans’ sustenance and livelihood ideally become more available in the future. In the Philippines, one of the world’s 17 mega-biodiverse countries and among the most vulnerable to biodiversity loss and climate change, the 2011-2016 Philippine Development Plan (PDP) specifically targeted: 1) strengthening management effectiveness of 2 million hectares (6.7%) of terrestrial and 1.1 million hectares (0.5%) of marine areas through existing national protected areas (PAs), and 2) establishing and effectively managing an additional 0.3 million hectares of critical habitats. The Philippines is also implementing the 2015-2028 Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP), which is in line with the Aichi Targets’ vision for biodiversity by 2020. The Protected Area Management Enhancement (PAME) in the Philippines Project aimed to improve the management effectiveness in 60 existing protected areas (PAs) in the Philippines and establish 100 new protected areas in Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs). The project began in October 2012 and will end in December 2017. It is implemented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources through its Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) in partnership with the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. With a funding of 9 million euros from the German government and 1 million euros from Philippine partners, PAME is a unique scaling-up initiative: the only conservation project worldwide targeting to strengthen such a large number of PA sites within a short amount of time. Specifically, PAME aimed to: 1) Improve management and technical capacities of DENR, protected area staff and key partners 2) Support the improvement of protected area management in at least 60 existing terrestrial and marine protected areas in defined key biodiversity areas (KBAs) through improved plans, legal frameworks, financial plans, and monitoring systems 3) Support the establishment of at least 100 new protected areas under innovative conservation management systems (for example, those led by local governments and communities) 4) Support an improved knowledge management and awareness-raising for PA management and value of biodiversity conservation 2 Report on the Management Effectiveness and Capacity of Protected Areas in the Philippines In selecting project sites, PAME considered those which did not receive support from international organizations or large corporations, and more particularly, 60 PAs which are in or near KBAs (PAME 60), and 100 KBAs from underrepresented ecosystems among current PAs, like caves, rivers, and lakes, among others (PAME 100). Other PAME 100 sites were directly selected as part of the Integrated Ecosystem Management (IEM)-based Comprehensive Land Use Planning (CLUP). Management effectiveness increase in 60 existing PAs and 55 new 1.1 protected areas established have contributed to the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016’s goals PAME generally achieved its main goals: Average METT scores of 64 existing national protected areas increased from 34% in 2013 to 49% this 2017. This is a 46% increase, higher than the targeted 30% increase. Although only