NCI 2024
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    The Philippines is a megadiverse country celebrated for its remarkable biodiversity and stunning natural beauty, ranging from the terraced rice fields of Banaue to the pristine beaches of Palawan. This archipelagic nation boasts more than 7,000 islands, providing a unique ecosystem with rich marine life in places like the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

    Its varied environments are home to a wide range of wildlife, including the Philippine eagle, one of the largest eagles in the world, and the tarsier, one of the smallest primates. The surrounding seas are teeming with vibrant coral reefs that support hundreds of fish species, mollusks, and other marine organisms. In response to the crucial need to protect these natural assets, the Philippines has enacted conservation measures, working in partnership with local communities and international bodies. The government has established numerous protected areas, including marine sanctuaries and nature reserves, to safeguard its biological and cultural heritage, covering significant portions of its land and sea territories.

    Score Rank Change
    Total Score – NCI 2024 50.49 148 N/A
    Land Management 51 109 N/A
    Protected Areas (Terrestrial) 55 106 N/A
    Ecological Representativeness of Terrestrial Protected Areas 65 64 N/A
    Connectedness of Terrestrial Protected Areas 64 50 N/A
    Protected Areas (Marine) 11 64 N/A
    Pristine Habitat (Converted Land) 100 1 N/A
    Sustainable Nitrogen Management (Soil Pollution) 56 24 N/A
    Sustainable Pesticide Use 5 148 N/A
    Threats to Biodiversity 55 151 N/A
    Threatened Species (Terrestrial) 63 169 N/A
    Threatened Species (Marine) 67 50 N/A
    Threatened Species’ Coverage by Protected Areas 80 124 N/A
    Species Coverage by Marine Protected Areas 97 48 N/A
    Species with Declining Populations (Terrestrial) 0 165 N/A
    Species with Declining Populations (Marine) 0 10 N/A
    Depleted Fisheries 0 39 N/A
    Fishery Pressure in the High Seas 100 99 N/A
    Invasive Species Pressure 88 126 N/A
    Capacity and Governance 64 82 N/A
    Total Management Cost 99 48 N/A
    Conservation Culturomics 44 90 N/A
    Conservation Legislation 67 13 N/A
    Ratification of CBD 100 1 N/A
    Ratification of CITES 100 1 N/A
    Political Stability and Absence of Violence 30 124 N/A
    Control of Corruption 40 108 N/A
    Government Effectiveness 52 68 N/A
    Future Trends 32 143 N/A
    Climate Change Mitigation 32 143 N/A


    Four pillars elaborated:

    Land Management

     The Philippines, with 7.2 million hectares (72,000 km²) of forest ecosystems accounting for about 24% of its total land area, has implemented a strategic conservation framework through the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) and the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (E-NIPAS). This system includes various protected categories such as national parks, natural monuments, and wildlife sanctuaries, covering significant regions like the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park and Mount Apo Natural Park. These areas are crucial for protecting numerous endemic species, fostering sustainable tourism, and supporting community-driven conservation efforts, thereby maintaining the ecological balance and enhancing the livelihoods of local communities across the archipelago.

    Threats to Biodiversity

     Though renowned for its unique biodiversity, a wide variety of its ecosystems, landscapes, and habitats are increasingly threatened by human activities. From 2000 to 2005, the Philippines experienced a 2.1% annual loss in forest cover, marking it as having the second-fastest deforestation rate in Southeast Asia and the seventh-fastest in the world. Additionally, the Philippines is a critical center for the diversity and origin of several agricultural crops, including rice, coconut, mung bean, taro, yam, and bananas. Yet, the area devoted to agriculture and its biodiversity is in decline.

    Inland water bodies also reflect troubling trends, with deteriorating water quality and decreasing fish biodiversity and cultural value, particularly in the country’s largest lake, Laguna de Bay, and its rivers. Despite some positive changes, like increased mangrove cover, the overall health of marine and coastal ecosystems is declining, with significant reductions in reef and seagrass cover, as well as fishery production.

    Capacity and Governance

     In the Philippines, the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), part of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), is crucial for the conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity. Despite initiatives like the DENR’s National Greening Program, ongoing forest degradation due to logging, mining, and land conversion highlights the struggle against inadequate state-level policies that favor commercial activities.

    Since the 1990s, integrated environmental strategies have been developed, such as watershed, coastal zone, and river basin management, aimed at addressing broad ecological issues. Presidential and executive orders have reinforced the importance of incorporating biodiversity conservation into governmental agencies and local governance. Significant efforts in integrated coastal management and the establishment of multi-sectoral councils, like the Network for Nature, further support comprehensive environmental governance, emphasizing stakeholder participation and addressing diverse concerns from poverty alleviation to sustainable development.

    Future Trends

     The Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP) is a comprehensive framework aimed at ensuring the restoration, effective management, and protection of biodiversity by 2028, with the goal of sustaining ecosystem services that support resilient and healthy Filipino communities. The PBSAP operationalizes the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) by embedding its objectives—conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components, and fair sharing of benefits from genetic resources—into the national and sectoral planning processes.

    The strategy sets specific conservation targets to be achieved by 2028, which include no net loss in natural forest and coral cover, maintaining or improving the status of threatened species, and preserving the genetic diversity of cultivated and wild species. Additional targets focus on enhancing ecosystem services, improving human wellbeing, and reducing threats to biodiversity, each supported by measurable indicators to track progress and effectiveness.


    Biodiversity

    The tropical rainforests of the Philippines are rich in biodiversity, hosting species such as the Philippine eagle, one of the world’s largest and rarest eagles, and the tarsier, a small primate with large eyes adapted for nocturnal life. The forests are also home to numerous species of plants, including over 13,500 plant species, with a significant number being endemic. Notable among these are various species of dipterocarps, orchids, and the Rafflesia, the world’s largest flower.

    The marine biodiversity of the Philippines is equally impressive. Situated within the Coral Triangle, the country’s waters are teeming with life. The coral reefs are among the most diverse in the world, supporting thousands of species of fish, corals, and other marine organisms. Iconic species such as the whale shark, sea turtles, and dugongs are found in these waters. The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a prime example of the country’s rich marine ecosystems, renowned for its pristine coral reefs and abundant marine life.

    In the table below are the number of known species in several main groups, how many of these species are Threatened with extinction, and how many of them are Endemic (unique to Philippines only):


    Species
    (World rank)    		 Threatened % Threatened Endemic % Endemic
    Mammals 236 (#46) 38 16.1% 147 62.3%
    Birds 595 (#57) 91 15.3% 259 43.5%
    Reptiles 373 (#22) 39 10.5% 249 66.8%
    Amphibians 115 (#32) 38 33.0% 98 85.2%
    Fishes 3,463 (#6) 147 4.2% 129 3.7%
    Plants 50,000 (#1) 254 0.5% 3,000 6.0%


    Go To 2024 National Nature Conservation Index Main Page

    Philippines

    The "Pearl of the Orient," home to 7,641 island gems

    Score:

    50.49 / 100

    Rank:

    148 / 180