M9 - Sustaining Living Systems

• Unsustainable practices that lead to the disruption of natural cycle

  • Increasing concentration of substances extracted from Earth
  • Increasing synthetic substances produced by society
  • physical degradation of nature and natural processes
• Conservation

  • An approach to sustaining living systems
  • “The planned management of natural resources; the retention of natural balance, diversity, and evolutionary change in the environment”
• United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)

  • aka The Rio Conference or Earth Summit
  • Rio de Janeiro (June 1992)
  • Issues relating to sustainability and conservation
  • Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
  • Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• 4 major agreements (Signed by 155 states; US President George Bush Sr. did not sign)

  1. Declaration on environment and development (citing the rights and responsibilities of individual states).
  2. Convention on climate change
  3. Agenda 21 (wide-ranging objectives and approaches for sustainable development)
  4. Convention on Biological Diversity
• 1992 United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)


  conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components, and fair and equitable sharing.
• In the PH...

  • 1 Sep. 1992 - creation of the Phil. Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) through EO No. 15
  • 26 Sep. 1996 - Philippine Agenda 21 (PA 21) • blueprint for Sustainable Devt
• Nipas Act

  • Republic Act 7586, known as the “National Integrated Protected Areas Systems (NIPAS) Act”
  • “defines a protected area as identified portions of land and water set aside by reason of their unique physical and biological significance”
  • Establishment of Protected Areas “a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means.”
  • Act No. 3915 (1932): declaration of first national park in 1933 (Mt. Arayat)
• Nipas Act


  Establishment of Protected Areas

  1. Strict nature reserve – with flora and fauna of national scientific importance
  2. National park – forest reserve with natural wilderness
  3. Natural monument – small area to protect nationally significant natural features
  4. Wildlife sanctuary – assures natural conditions to protect nationally significant species
  5. Protected landscape and seascapes - characterized by the harmonious interaction of man and land while providing opportunities for public enjoyment through the recreation and tourism
• Masungi Karst Conservation Area (MKCA)

  • declared a strict nature reserve and wildlife sanctuary since 1993
• Balbalasang-Balbalan National Park

  • PA in Balbalan, Kalinga (declared a National Park in 1972)
  • Area of 1, 338 hectares (13.38 sqkm)
• Mt. Pulag Protected Landscape

  • Previously a national park
  • Third-highest mountain in Philippines
  • Characterized by mossy forests (lower elevations) and houses several threatened mammals (eg. Philippine deer, giant bushy-tailed cloud rat )
• Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs)

  • threatened biodiversity
  • geographically restricted biodiversity
  • ecological integrity
  • irreplaceable
• Community-based Natural Resource Management


  A group of people (usually in rural areas) manage the use of resources in their defined area, using communal facilities

  Goals

  1. Generate income that can be used for rural development
  2. Promote democracy and good governance in local institutions
• Muyong/Pinugo of Ifugao

  1. Forest protection and management practices among indigenous people
  2. Sustainable way of preserving rich diversity of the forests
  3. Land and indigenous knowledge are passed down
  4. Problems of youth migration and rising economic problems
• Integrated Natural Resources Approaches

  • involves the collaboration and coordination of various sectors and stakeholders to sustainably manage natural resources, while also meeting the needs of local communities and addressing broader societal goals

  Different approaches

  1. Integrated water resource management
  2. Ecosystem approach
  3. Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM)
  4. Forest landscape restoration
• National Greening Program (NGP)

  • one of the major programs of the Philippines
  • aims to plant 1.5 million hectares of lands of the public domain over a period of six years (2011 – 2016)
• 2023 agenda for sustainable development (adopted in 2015 by all 193 UN member states)

  1. No poverty
  2. Zero hunger
  3. good health and wellbeing
  4. quality education
  5. gender equality
  6. clean water and sanitation
  7. affordable and clean energy
  8. decent work and economic growth
  9. industry, innovation, and infrastructure
  10. reduced inequalities
  11. sustainable cities and communities
  12. responsible consumption and production
  13. climate action
  14. life below water
  15. life on land
  16. peace, justice, and strong institutions
  17. partnerships for the goals
• Integrated water resource management

  • A process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources, to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems
  • Spatial scale: Basin (river, lake, groundwater)
• Ecosystem approach

  • A strategy for the integrated management of land, water, and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way
  • Spatial scale: Within the limits of ecosystem functioning
• Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM)

  • The process of combining all aspects of human, physical, and biological aspects of the coastal zone within a single management framework
  • Spatial scale: All coastal and upland areas, the uses of which can affect coastal waters and the resources therein, and extends seaward to include that part of the coastal ocean that can affect the land of the coastal zone
• Integrated natural resources management

  • Responsible and broad-based management of the land, water, forest, and biological resources base—including genes—needed to sustain agricultural productivity and avert degradation of potential productivity
  • Spatial scale: landscape
• Forest landscape restoration

  • A process that aims to regain ecological integrity and enhance human well-being in deforested or degraded forest landscapes
  • Spatial scale: landscape