This document summarizes a forum on climate change held in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan for stakeholders in the province. It discusses the challenges the Palawan Biosphere Reserve faces from climate change, the role of the Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) and Environmentally Critical Areas Network (ECAN) in regulating resource use and development. It also summarizes the significance of Palawan's forests, beaches, mangroves, and coral reefs to climate change and strategies for mitigation and adaptation being implemented by local institutions and communities.

1. Forum on Climate Change
for the Province of Palawan
The Legend Hotel, Puerto Princesa City
The Legend Hotel, Puerto Princesa City
19 June 2009
19 June 2009
The Challenges
for the Palawan Biosphere
Reserve in Dealing
with Climate Change
Romeo B. Dorado
Romeo B. Dorado
OIC-Executive Director
OIC-Executive Director
Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff
Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff

2. SEP/ECAN Policy
SEP/ECAN Policy
and its relation
and its relation
to Climate Change
to Climate Change
The Forest
The Forest
and other ecosystems
and other ecosystems
of Palawan and their significance
of Palawan and their significance
to Climate Change
to Climate Change
Contributions of Palawan entities
Contributions of Palawan entities
(LGUs, NGOs, NGAs, Communities, etc.)
(LGUs, NGOs, NGAs, Communities, etc.)
to Climate Change
to Climate Change
mitigation and adaptation
mitigation and adaptation

3. Strategic Environmental Plan
(SEP) for Palawan
> The road to sustainable
development as envisioned
for Palawan is contained in
the Strategic Environmental
Plan (SEP), passed into law
in 1992.
> The SEP Law calls for the
zoning of Environmentally
Critical Areas Network
(ECAN), a comprehensive
strategy encompassing the
whole province and guiding
its conservation and
developmental undertakings.

4. Total Log Ban

5. Environmentally Critical Areas
Network: The Main Strategy
Graded system of protection and development control
over the whole province

6. Terrestrial Core Zone
ECAN Zones
Restricted Use Area
Buffer
Controlled Use Area Zone
Traditional Use Area
Multiple Use Zone
Coastal Core Zone
Transition/Buffer Area
Multiple
use Zone
Sustainable/General Use Area

7. SEP-ECAN as
Regulatory Tool
for Resource
Use In Palawan
Core Zone-425,223 (29.1%)
Restricted Use-140,214 (09.1%)
Controlled Use-224,907 (15.4%)
Traditional Use-134,050 (9.02%)
Multiple Use- 516,102 (35.4%)
Source: PCSD ECAN-GIS

9. ECAN & Climate Change
pictures showing hazard-prone areas such as landslide and flooding, also areas teeming with wildlife

10. ECAN Regulation and Control
Physical Constraint Imposed by ECAN

11. Biological Constraint Imposed by ECAN
FOREST BENEFITS FOREST LOSS
DISINCENTIVES
Local climate regulation
Water Regulation Risk to human health
Water Supply Accelerated climate change
Erosion/ Increased watershed
Sedimentation Control disruption
Soil formation Water pollution
Nutrient cycling Loss of water quality
Genetic resources Loss of biodiversity
Recreation/cultural uses

12. Economic Development Constraints
and Opportunities

13. Forest Ecosystem of Palawan
Forest Cover, 2005:
46% (666,338 hectares)
San Vicente 75%
Puerto Princesa City 72%
Rizal 58%
Aborlan 57%

14. Carbon stock sequestration
within Palawan’s forest
is calculated at 206 Million metric tons

15. SLIDE 10: Biodiversity; New Species Are Still Being Discovered Biodiversity
Upper Pitcher
Upper Pitcher Intermediate Pitcher
Intermediate Pitcher
Nepenthes attenboroughii
Nepenthes attenboroughii

16. SLIDE 11: Weather Patterns Weather Patterns
The Fujiwara effect in Palawan (from internet)
The Fujiwara effect in Palawan (from internet)

17. SLIDE 12: Beach Ecosystem Beach Ecosystem

18. Mangrove Ecosystem
SLIDE 13: Mangrove Ecosystem
Palawan Mangrove Forest – 42% (58,400 ha.)
(Highest in the Philippines)
Fishpond Demolition
Fishpond Demolition

19. Coral Reef Ecosystem
THE CORAL REEFS PALAWAN
Reef Condition As percent of Area (km2) MSY Grouper
Categories the total reef (T/km2/year)
area
Excellent 2.89% 23.637 1.8
(76-100% coral over)
Good 10.48% 85.597 0.87
(75-51% coral cover)
Fair 27.4% 223.808 0.27
(26-50% coral cover)
Poor 59.22% 483.705 0.02
(1-25% coral cover)
Good - Excellent Reef Condition = 13.37%
Poor - Fair Reef condition = 86.63%
5/2003 as of 2005 3/2005

20. Human Health

21. SLIDE 16: Key Economic Industries Key Economic Industries

22. Coastal Tourism,
Fisheries

23. Agriculture, Plantations

24. Mining Industry
November 2008 – Moratorium on the endorsement of
small scale mining was passed by the Palawan Local
Government Board in the whole province

25. Institutional Contributions

26. Saving the biosphere,
Sustaining the future of Palawan

27. Protected Areas - Mantalingahan
SLIDE 21: Protected Areas (Mantalingahan, Tubbataha
Mt. Mantalingahan
Protected Landscape
126,348 hectares
Adopted ECAN map Hectares %
Core zone 96,366 76.3
Restricted use area 2,550 2.0
Controlled use area 15,380 12.2
Traditional use area 7,360 5.8
Multiple use zone 4,691 3.7
TOTAL 126,348 100.0

28. Protected Areas – Tubbataha Reefs
SLIDE 21: Protected Areas (Mantalingahan, Tubbataha

29. Other Protected Areas

30. Other Protected Areas
MALAMPAYA
MALAMPAYA CALAUIT
CALAUIT
SOUND
SOUND EL NIDO
EL NIDO
CORON
CORON
PUERTO PRINCESA
PUERTO PRINCESA
SUBTERRANEAN RIVER
SUBTERRANEAN RIVER
IRAWAN WATERSHED
IRAWAN WATERSHED
RESERVE
RESERVE
VICTORIA-ANEPAHAN
VICTORIA-ANEPAHAN
MOUNTAIN RANGE
MOUNTAIN RANGE
RASA ISLAND
RASA ISLAND
WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
URSULA ISLAND
URSULA ISLAND

31. Palawan Council
for Sustainable Development

32. Institutional Contributions
http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/kids/index.html

33. Mitigation
FOREST PROTECTION AND
REFORESTATION
SPIRITUALITY AND SCIENCE AND RESEARCH
PHILOSOPHY
ORGANIC AGRICULTURE EFFICIENT AND ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGIES
http://tiki.oneworld.net/global_warming/climate3.html

35. Adaptation
MARINE PROTECTED AREA
ESTABLISHMENT AND
CRM
MANGROVE PROTECTION AND
REHABILITATION
http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/history.html
http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/kids/globalwarming.html

36. RECOMMENDATIONS
v Local IPCC in Palawan
v cooperation among institution
v resource pooling
v Creation of carbon sinks
v Population stabilization Vs.
Biodiversity conservation
v Value added benefits =
Increase in human
welfare