3rd National Mangrove Conference: “Mangroves and Beach Forests for Building Resilience in a Changing Climate

Proponent: Barangay Pedada Fisherfolk Association
Amount: Php200,000
Project Start Date: April 05, 2018
Project End Date: August 05, 2018
Grant Type: Constituency - Building Grants
Area: Visayas
Grant Status: Past

Project Goals and Objectives

To implement a two and a half day national conference on mangrove conservation with the purpose of improving and broadening local and national capacities who will protect and rehabilitate at least 500 hectares of degraded mangrove and beach forest ecosystems in the country using the best available scientific knowledge and protocols developed by Zoological Society of London-Philippines (ZSL). It is expected that this will contribute to protecting mangrove and beach forest biodiversity in coastal areas highly vulnerable to typhoons, leading to the mitigation of the impacts of climate change, as well as improved fisheries productivity

Outputs and Outcomes

1. Review ecosystem-based disaster risk management and showcase best practices and lessons on coastal protection including mangrove-beach forest greenbelts.
2. Review mangrove rehabilitation/restoration including reversion of abandoned, underutilized
and undeveloped fishponds to mangrove forests as a climate change adaptation strategy.
3. Review and showcase best practices of marine protected areas with multiple habitats as key to improving and maintaining ecosystem resilience in a changing climate.
4. Review and identify gaps in carbon stock assessments of Philippine mangroves recognizing the role of Blue Carbon in climate change mitigation.

OUTPUTS:
OUTPUTS: Provision of the following to the participants:
• An updated information on best practices and lessons on coastal protection from government, NGO, academic/scientific programmes and projects including mangrove and beach forest rehabilitation
• Broader perspectives on the importance of mangroves as a climate change adaptation strategy in the context of continuing habitat loss due to aquaculture and urban development
• The relation of the role of mangroves in coastal protection and mitigation to the national policy and in meeting international goals, including the new Sustainable Development Goals.

Workshops results translated into potential policy guidance notes for further policy advocacy agenda of ZSL and partners

Publication of the conference proceeding documenting the valuable inputs and workshop outputs that will be made available as a pdf that can be downloaded and shared in web platforms, including the FPE website.

Best practice information on MPA science and current conservation/management measures, emphasizing the role of mangroves in fisheries productivity, ecological connectivity, biodiversity conservation and ecosystem resilience provided to the participants.

Knowledge and information about mangroves as Blue Carbons, functions and benefits as climate change mitigation strategies provided to the participants