Amidst the challenges of climate change and food security, DENR proposes new policy on tenure to forge the way for sustainable forest and land management
The national government and Germany’s foremost official development assistance agency have scheduled a National Conference on the Governance of Tenure in the Context of Climate Change, Food Security and Sustainable Forest Management as a way forward to sustainable land management and a national tenure system reform.
Fishermen in Yumbing, Mambajao, Camiguin fixing their nets. (photo by Mike Baños, NPN)
The Conference, to be led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in cooperation with the German Corporation for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH), will be held on September 22, 2015 at the Eastwood Richmonde Hotel, Libis, Quezon City.
DENR Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje will grace the event together with German Ambassador Thomas Ossowski. Lawmakers, officials, and representatives from national government agencies, the private sector, civic groups, academe, and people’s organizations will also be present during the event.
The Philippine government recognizes the need to identify and close gaps in the forest management and tenure regime as well as to provide clear guidance in the issuance of tenure and land use rights.
In this context, DENR, in cooperation with GIZ, has conducted a Study on the Governance of Tenure in the Philippines to develop a policy instrument for the issuance of a unified tenure system. Such a system would improve the governance of natural resource management and enable broader access to forest land with positive impacts on environmental management and rural development.
The policy proposes a shift toward a unified tenure system and strengthened inter-government cooperation. It also aims to address issues of land and forest governance, and lead to sustainable land and resource management.
Governance of tenure is crucial for sustainable development of the Philippines
Millions of Filipinos depend on forests, farmland, and fishing waters for livelihoods and food security. With continued economic and demographic growth, competition for land and natural resources is increasing, often leading to unsustainable use, loss, and depletion of the country’s rich forest, soil, biological diversity, and water resources.
Climate change and natural disasters exacerbate these pressures. In this context, the governance of land and natural resources – their conservation, management, distribution, and use – is of vital importance for the country’s sustainable development.
The Philippine government recognizes forests are crucial in the fight against climate change
Forests play key roles in the mitigation and adaptation of climate change, from mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, to adapting to the severe impacts of climate change. The Government of the Philippines recognizes this important linkage and implements a broad array of related programs and strategies.
Among these are the National Greening Program (NGP) and the Philippine National REDD-Plus Strategy (PNRPS), implemented by the DENR-Forest Management Bureau (FMB) aimed at reducing deforestation, promote sustainable forest management, rehabilitate the country’s forests, and improve livelihoods of the people.
Addressing challenges in land governance:
Clear tenure provides perspectives for a better future for people and the environment
“Open access” forestlands and contested land tenure are among the major drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in the country. In the Philippine’s upland areas, millions of people (approximately one-third of the population) live illegally on public forestlands, without security of tenure, and frequently many overlapping claims exist for the same pieces of land.
This is often at the root of unsustainable resource use practices and resource-related conflicts. By clarifying tenure rights, people will have incentives to preserve and sustainably manage land, forests, and biodiversity. This benefits people and the environment alike. (PR)
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Contact:
For. Mark DV. de Claro DENR-Forest Management Bureau
E: fmb.enviforestrysection@gmail.
Dr. Bernd-Markus Liss Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH