The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is hoping to expand nationwide the highly-acclaimed forest and climate change protection project that resulted in the sustainable management of resources in areas surrounding a mountain range on Panay Island.
DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said the recently completed forest and climate protection Panay project—an eight-year initiative funded and implemented by the German and Philippine government—is worth replicating in other parts of the country.
“ForClim has proved successful in integrating biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and poverty alleviation through sustainable management of forest resources. With the right support from our partner organizations, hopefully, we can bring this kind of success to other areas in the country in the near future,” he said.
The project introduced innovations and approaches in forest land use planning, including the establishment of critical habitats, forest conservation, and management, forest rehabilitation, agroforestry and income generation for local communities.
It followed a conservation and development approach providing incentives for sustainable resource management such as agroforestry, upland agriculture and use of bioenergy.