Wetland conservation and management in the Philippines: Where are we now? The case of seagrass and mangrove

A significant portion of the Philippine coastal habitats is at high risk of being lost in the next decade. Seagrass and mangrove ecosystems in the Philippines, known to be very productive and exhibiting high biodiversity, are under severe stress from the combined impacts of human overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, sedimentation and general neglect There is an urgent need to conserve and manage these habitats in the country in particular and in Southeast Asia in general. The reason for management of the coastal resources is that they are a huge natural and economic resource in the country in terms of food supply, livelihood, other revenue and quality of the environment. To effectively conserve and manage Philippine seagrass and mangrove, we should: (1) focus research on priority management issues (link science to management); (2) develop an integrated framework for action; (3) undertake an economic valuation of the resources and of relevant policy changes; (4) forge public-private partnerships to manage, use, and conserve seagrass and mangrove; (5) ensure a functional coordination among concerned agencies; (6) increase the content of seagrass-mangrove repositories; and (7) for mangroves, adopt some "wise" management options. To protect the larger coastal and marine environment, governments should: (1) localize sustainable development through sound governance; (2) ensure high quality scientific publication (shift from description to synthesis); (3) position S and T centrally in economic development policy; and (4) adopt the Integrated Coastal Area Management philosophy.