The price of progress

ACCORDING to Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippines is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, but that its marine and wildlife riches are facing depletion due to intrusive man-made activities.
Years and years of unmitigated and destructive human activities have taken its toll on the country’s natural resources, putting it in a state of crisis which may take years to reverse, says the DENR.
The Philippines is now considered as one of the hottest hot spots when it comes to biodiversity crisis, manifested by habitat loss, unsustainable use of resources, climate change, invasive alien species and pollution.
“The Philippines is one of the most threatened in the world. The rate of extinction of species is 1,000 times the natural rate because of man-made activities,” said Ignacio.
The silent crisis has adversely affected the Philippines’ mangrove, coral reef, seagrass, forest, agro, peatland and freshwater ecosystems which would take decades to replenish.
And the worst thing is, people only realize what they’ve lost when the crisis has already set in, making recovery efforts more difficult and costly.
These loss of habitats are attributed to deforestation and denigration. Deforestation is primarily caused by unmitigated logging and urbanization and the Philippines already has 8 million hectares of denuded and idle forest lands.
According to a recent study made by Conservation International, only about 4 percent of the country’s forests remain as natural habitat for many endemic species.
Food production and the needs of a burgeoning population have necessitated the clearing of forest lands, leading to the loss of about 2 percent of forests every year.
The World Wide Fund for Nature reported that the Philippines has already used up about 27,000 square kilometers of healthy coral reefs. Commercial and unregulated fishing have taken their toll, with less than 5 percent of coral reefs still in excellent condition and only 1 percent still in their pristine state.
The Philippines has 36,289 kilometers of coastline and is considered to be the world’s second-largest archipelago. The DENR is ill-equipped when it comes to manpower and resources to be able to guard the country’s coastline and seas.
While it is important for the Philippines to continue moving forward in terms of economic progress, it is also vital for the nation to strike a balance between economics and ecology. After all, it is our natural resources that have generously provided for our needs. Now, it is our turn to give back to Mother Nature.
This is not something that we can put off or brush aside. We are already beginning to feel the ill effects of our irresponsibility. We must act now or suffer the consequences nature’s wrath, sooner than later.
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Midweek June 1-3, 2011 Sec A pg. 6)