published December 10, 2010 in BusinessWorld
PARANAS, SAMAR -- A growing population is threatening biodiversity at the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP).
Manolito D. Ragub, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional technical director for research and project manager of Samar Island Biodiversity Project (SIBP), said the population within the park has been one of the major challenges that park management is facing.
"Timber poaching is very common because of the people’s impoverished situation. They do it because there’s no other source of income," Mr. Ragub said.
Logging has been banned in Samar, but small-scale logging continues and is hard to control, he added.
The latest available data from the National Statistical Coordination Board showed that Samar provinces posted the highest proportion of population below the poverty threshold at 61.6% in Northern Samar, 51.9% in Eastern Samar, and 47.6% in Samar.
"Based on our latest survey, there are about 70,000 upland dwellers in SINP area. The annual growth rate of 1.5% has been consistent," Mr. Ragub told BusinessWorld.
Other indiscriminate use of resources include encroachment and cultivation, the harvest of rattan and other non-timber forest products, and the hunting of wildlife.
The latest report of a biological resource assessment (BRA) of the Samar park showed that forest cover on the island has dwindled to about 311,000 hectares, or about 49,000 hectares less than the 1987 estimate from the Satellite Spot.
"About 60% of forest cover is still intact. We are expecting more support from various groups because of the growing concern to address climate change," Mr. Ragub said.
The BRA also noted that there is rampant collection of wildlife in the sites covered by the survey. In the eastern part of the island alone, an estimated 3,600 parrots are caught and sold as pets every year.
The report disclosed that about 1,000 species belonging to nearly 290 genera of 100 families were recorded. It was also found that 53% of the plant species are endemic, of which 35 species are considered endangered.
The United Nations Development Programme is currently implementing a $21-million program in SINP area to preserve its natural resources. The program will expire next year.
The SINP is a protected area established by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 442 by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on April 13, 2003. The park covers 333,000 hectares of forest and an additional 125,400 hectare buffer zone encompassing 36 municipalities and one city.
Samar is the third-largest island in the Philippine archipelago, with a total land area of 1.348 million hectares. The island has the largest tracts of lowland tropical rainforest consisting of 360,000 hectares.
The entire Samar Island is known for its rich biodiversity. It was listed in the global 200 eco-region (World Wildlife Fund), one of the nine endemic bird areas in the Philippines, and one of 18 centers of plant diversity in the country.
No comments:
Post a Comment