The Environmental Movement and the Philippine Politics Essay Example

The Environmental Movement and the Philippine Politics Paper From May to October, the southwest monsoon dominates, while from November to April, the dry winds of the northeast monsoon take over. It covers a restless part Of the world. Most Of the mountainous islands are volcanic, and the country also lies within the typhoon belt of the Western Pacific. It also experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activities. The Philippines is a newly industrialized country with an agricultural base, light industry, and service-sector economy. Industrial production includes food, beverages, tobacco, and pharmaceuticals among others, with heavier industries dominated by the production of cement, glass, industrial Heimlich, and refined petroleum products etc. However, long-term economic prospects are undermined by persisting poverty, inadequate infrastructure and education systems, and trade and investment barriers. The Philippines suffers from severe deforestation, deteriorating coastal resources, declining fish production and overflowing trash. This environmental state threatens the country’s remaining important global terrestrial and marine biodiversity. While total forest cover has increased in recent years, natural forests-?habitats for most valuable plants and animals continue to be pelted and fragmented by illegal cutting and conversion to other uses. We will write a custom essay sample on The Environmental Movement and the Philippine Politics specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Environmental Movement and the Philippine Politics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Environmental Movement and the Philippine Politics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer About 70% of coral reefs are already destroyed-?overflowing and destructive fishing practices threaten the country’s food security. Less than 40% of solid waste is collected, the rest clog rivers and waterways. Almost 58% of all groundwater is contaminated and unfit for aquatic life. Only 7% of domestic effluents are managed. The Philippines is prone to natural disasters, particularly typhoons, floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis, lying as it does astride the typhoon belt, in the active volcanic egging known as the â€Å"Pacific Ring of Fire,† and in the geologically unstable region between the Pacific and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Philippines also suffers major human-caused environmental degradation aggravated by a high annual population growth rate, including loss of agricultural lands, deforestation, soil erosion, air and water pollution, improper disposal of solid and toxic wastes, loss Of coral reefs, mismanagement and abuse Of coastal resources, and overflowing. According to Greenback Southeast Asia, the Philippines major historical river, the Passing River is now biologically dead due to negligence and industrialization. Currently, the Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources has been busy tracking down illegal loggers and been spearheading projects to preserve the quality of many remaining rivers that are not yet polluted. The Philippines is endowed with rich natural resources that can support the country’s national development and ensure that the Filipino people can live in peace and prosperity. For the past century, however, our environment has gone through severe destruction and depletion. The degradation of our ecosystems has proceeded alongside poverty and the dislocation of communities from their lands and livelihoods. Fishers in the Philippines are increasingly coming home with pitiful catches. Of a number of factors which have led to this situation, one stands out: over- fishing in many areas. According to the Asian Development Bank (DAB), there has been a drop of 90% in the quantity of marine organisms that can be trawled in some traditional fishing areas of the Philippines. This isn’t just a question of declining fish stocks and biodiversity, but also of social impacts and economic losses. Mismanagement fisheries resources is estimated to cost LOS$ 420 million annually in lost revenues. At the root Of the overflowing robber is weak fisheries management, ineffective policies and poor enforcement of fishery laws. Coastal zone development has been particularly damaging to the Philippines’ marine environment, especially to coral reefs, mangroves, and sea grasses. As populations have increased, so have their needs for construction materials and living space. Excavation, dredging, and coastal conversion to accommodate coastal development have seen corals being extracted for reclamation and construction, especially in coastal villages. Mangroves have particularly suffered from coastal development, notably at the hands of the aquaculture industry. In the Philippines, aquaculture has reduced mangrove stands to only 36% of 1900 levels. After decades of deforestation, which has left about 3% of the original cover, forests continue to be under threat from agriculture and arbitration, illegal logging and forest fires. Sustained forest loss in the Philippines is causing severe soil erosion, and is threatening the country’s rich biodiversity. This is particularly worrying as many of the Philippines’ species, which depend on these forests, are endemic (they cannot be found anywhere else in the world). For example, of 180 native terrestrial mammal species here, about 61% are endemic. Inconsistent laws, inadequate regulations, weak enforcement and lack of funding are making forest conservation a major challenge. Only about 10% of sewage in the Philippines is treated or disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. The rest goes back to nature – usually the sea. In this context of poor waste treatment and high population growth, water pollution is a growing problem for the country’s groundwater, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. Polluting industrial material is also found in abandoned mining areas, with mercury pollution affecting water bodies in these areas. These problems are unfolding in a context of poor planning, and cake management and enforcement of regulations. Today, the Philippines has over 74 million inhabitants, and the country’s wildlife are threatened, not just by a burgeoning population and mismanagement of environmental resources, but also by over-hunting of animal species for both commercial and subsistence use and widespread ignorance as to the larger, long-term benefits of biological resources to humans. The manifest increasing fragility of its ecosystem has made it clear that the Philippines, while aggressively pursuing economic programs to compete with others in the region, must now tree toward environment-friendly policies and practices, especially in the tourism industry, which relies heavily on natural attractions. Recognizing the country’s unique but still mostly untapp ed potentials for environmental tourism, in 1 994 the Department of Tourism, or DOT, formulated the Code of Ethics for Philippine Customize. The code enjoins all sectors concerned, among others, to assess and evaluate the environmental state of every potential site prior to development, especially taking into account the impact of development on the site; consider the cultural values and lifestyles of the coal community before introducing tourism to minimize shock and degradation; conserve scarce resources like water and fuel; apply more rigorous waste reduction and pollution control measures; encourage a shift to indigenous biodegradable materials and, last but not least, refrain from and discourage poaching activities, collection of wild life and marine life, and the purchase of items with high cultural and historical value. Thence, in tune with recent global awakening aided by mainstream media coverage of environmental issues, and adopting new approaches and strategies toward avian the planet for posterity, Philippine government agencies and the private sector have been working closely to focus broader attention on a s ource of great pride for the Filipino nation -? the country’s abundant wealth of endemic species-? and the precipitous rate at which these species are decreasing and disappearing. The trees around us can serve greatly against challenging environmental problems such as floods, landslides, global warming and the like. Sadly, an increasing loss of trees in our surroundings can be observed. Recognizing the need to tackle the environment issues as ell as the need to sustain development and growth, the Philippines came up with the Sustainable Development Strategy. The notion for the Sustainable Development Strategy includes assimilating environmental considerations in administration, apposite pricing of natural resources, conservation of biodiversity, rehabilitation of ecosystems, control of population growth and human resources development, inducing growth in rural areas, promotion of environmental education, strengthening citizens’ participation, and promoting small to medium sized enterprises and sustainable agricultural and forestry practices.