FRAGMENTED initiatives by national government agencies and local government units (LGUs) that deter integrated coastal management and the weak inter-LGU mechanism for coastal and fishery law enforcement, coupled by the booming population, have been identified as some of the pressing concerns in Davao Gulf.

The Davao Gulf Management Council, the coordinating body for initiatives to address environmental concerns in the gulf composed of 23 LGUs, said some of the world’s most vulnerable and threatened animal species found in the Davao Gulf are being pushed further to the brink by the lack of concerted initiatives to address the environmental concern in the Davao Gulf, considered a key biodiversity area (KBA) in the Philippines and listed as one of the world’s 34 biodiversity hot spots.

KBAs, which are considered “globally significant sites,” are building blocks for conservation programs that maintain effective ecological networks and prevent biodiversity loss.

The Philippines counts 128 KBAs, which were identified for 209 globally threatened and 419 endemic animal species. The KBAs cover 6,008,813 hectares, or about 20 percent of the country’s total land area.

Davao Gulf, in particular, is feeding ground to 11 species of cetaceans, including sperm whales, killer whales and bottle-nosed dolphins, as well as the nursing ground for five endangered turtle species, including the hawksbill, the leatherback and olive ridley.

On the other hand, five terrestrial KBAs in the uplands of the Davao Gulf region are also home to some of the world’s threatened mammals and birds, including the majestic, endangered Philippine Eagle.

An estimated 80 percent of Mindanao’s mammal species are not found anywhere else in the world. These include the Mindanao moonrat and the Mindanao pygmy fruit bat.

The rich biodiversity of Mindanao, however, faces threats from economic growth and population pressures. And this condition can best be seen in Davao Gulf, where population in the region reached 4.1 million in 2007.

“The pressures of economic and social growth have to be addressed through a concerted effort by gulf stakeholders, especially LGUs, because Davao Gulf is the source of livelihood for the people around the gulf,” said Leo Avila III, president of Save Davao Gulf Foundation.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Philippine Environmental Governance Project 2 (EcoGov) is currently assisting six LGUs in the gulf in the areas of forest and forestland management, coastal resource management and urban environmental management.

 Help to LGUs, which began in 2005, centers on providing technical assistance on forest management, coastal-resource management and urban management, and providing advice on environment-friendly livelihood activities to communities, cooperatives and people’s organizations. EcoGov, for instance, teaches coastal LGUs and communities how to manage coastal resources and prevent overfishing or stop illegal fishing practices.

USAID, through EcoGov, also funds assistance programs for solid-waste and wastewater management in the gulf area. Davao Gulf is a catchment area for industrial, agricultural and human waste, as well as for siltation from the upland regions. Waste generation continues to be a serious threat to Davao Gulf, an area where EcoGov hopes to work closely with gulf LGUs.

Environment Secretary Lito Atienza has also called for initiatives to address the environmental threats to Davao Gulf.

“We have to develop that awareness that what we do to our coastal areas would affect all our life-support systems. The impact of the degradation of the country’s coastlines will not only be felt by coastal communities but even the people in the upland areas,” Atienza said during a recent clean-up activity in Davao Gulf.

EcoGov is a technical assistance project in the Philippines funded by the United States Agency for International Development.

The project is a collaborative effort with the DENR, LGUs and other partners that aims to enhance the capabilities of LGUs to preserve and manage natural resources through good environmental governance and sound, sustainable management practices. 

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FRAGMENTED initiatives by national government agencies and local government units (LGUs) that deter integrated coastal management and the weak inter-LGU mechanism for coastal and fishery law enforcement, coupled by the booming population, have been identified as some of the pressing concerns in Davao Gulf.

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