Philippines – Understanding the Role of Forests in Supporting Livelihoods and Climate Resilience (and Twin Goals) in the Philippines
The Philippines has experienced extensive deforestation and forest degradation over the last century due to logging, fires and other human disturbances. These issues are currently further aggravated by climate change. Recently, the total forest cover has subsequently declined to merely 6.9 million hectares or 23 percent of the total land area.
The objective of this analytical work is to enhance the understanding of how forests and related ecosystem services contribute to and mutually reinforce both poverty reduction and resilience in the Philippines. This study further explores:
- How the sustainable management and/or rehabilitation of the forest resource base can provide pathways out of poverty.
- How forest ecosystems help enhance people’s resilience to climate impacts, and
- How forest ecosystems support livelihood development for the poor.
The methodology combines ecosystem accounting models, focus group discussions, and participatory scenario development to value forest benefits, implement forest use surveys, and to perform trade-off analysis in three sites in the Philippines. Landscape simulations were developed to test ecosystem service provision under different land cover extent and spatial arrangements within a watershed.
The study shows that forests are relevant to climate resilience. Healthy forests help reduce risks to climate variability by providing high-quality ecosystem services such as increased water yields and flow regulation. In addition, forests protect against erosion and sediment generation further reducing risk of flooding and lowering costs of water treatment. The study finds that it is over less costly tp reforest than to replace erosion and sediment control services with manmade control measures to securing erosion regulation ecosystem services over the medium term.
In addition, the study confirms that forests are vital to income and wealth generation. Forests serve as a safety net against poverty and potentially increase access to economic opportunities. Poor upland communities enhance their livelihoods thanks to the provision of forest ecosystem services such as water regulation services for domestic uses and irrigation. In addition, forest resources to fulfill their subsistence needs and income.
For more information, please find the whole report here.