Germany to support mega-diverse forest in DavOr

CITY OF MATI, DAVAO ORIENTAL, November 19, 2014 ---To strengthen its sixty years of diplomatic relationship with the Philippines, the government of Germany vows to help solve the biodiversity crisis in the country by picking the province of Davao Oriental,  to benefit from a program that aims for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity conservation.

Dr. Bernd-Markus Liss, principal advisor of the German Development Cooperation recently arrived here to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon for the implementation of the National REDD-plus (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Philippines Project.

Aside from helping reducing emissions and biodiversity conservation, the German-funded project will have other co-benefits including provision of livelihoods and safeguarding the rights of the Indigenous Peoples. Dr. Liss says the project also aims to strengthen the coordination of the national and local government units on forest protection and sustainable forest management by reducing shifting cultivation and timber poaching, in support of the National Greening Program.

Davao Oriental is the only place in Mindanao picked to benefit from the program funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety. Dr. Liss says their government decided to choose Davao Oriental because it is one of the “megadiverse” yet “hotspot” focal areas in the country.

He says the province contains a high proportion of unique biodiversity and at the same time, it has become a hotspot because its forest and other natural areas, with their unique plants and animals, are being lost at a fast rate.

Dr. Liss says their government was inspired to choose Davao Oriental for the program because of the strong effort of Governor Corazon Malanyaon, a staunch environment advocate, in protecting the forest that he says plays an important role in mitigating climate change, protecting biodiversity and supporting the lives and livelihoods of the indigenous peoples and local communities. He also says the province can gain economically from its rich biodiversity through eco-tourism. “You are endowed with beautiful natural landscapes that are perfect for nature tourism. Davao Oriental offers scenic landscapes, unique life forms and water bodies that can be developed for eco-tourism,” says Dr. Liss.

Governor Malanyaon stressed that biodiversity is central to food security and livelihoods of her people. She says she also focused her campaign on preserving forest watersheds as these would give life to

rivers and its tributaries and increase water yield.

 “I pledge my support to the implementation of this REDD PLUS Project because this could greatly help us attain our goal of forest protection and conservation. This project would bring considerable benefits to the province, especially so since 61 percent of the area of Davao Oriental is forestland." Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon said.  .By Ferdinand Zuasola (PIO)