EDITORIAL
Bohol’s protected landscapes and seascapes:
nature-based solutions to climate change
The province of Bohol is home to the majority of the protected areas in Central Visayas, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). There are 25 areas declared by DENR as protected areas, and 16 of these are located in the province.
Under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018 (RA No. 11038), five areas in the province are declared as protected landscapes and seascapes, namely: Albuquerque-Loay-Loboc Protected Landscape and Seascape; Chocolate Hills Natural Monument; Panglao Island Protected Seascape; Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape; Talibon Group of Island Protected Landscape and Seascape. Eleven other areas in the province are listed by the DENR as protected areas.
One of the strategies identified by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) to improve ecosystem resilience in the region is the implementation of nature-based solutions to climate change.
According to NEDA, the management of marine and water resources, as well as the preservation of biological diversity, is among the nature-based solutions to climate change in Central Visayas. Specifically, the region has implemented the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program (CMEMP). This initiative, which is spearheaded by DENR 7, involves the regular monitoring of permanent stations within coastal and marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests, specifically within the 8 NIPAS-Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the region.
Inland wetland biodiversity also serves as an essential part of nature-based solutions to climate change that runs the natural hydrologic cycle. Inland wetland biodiversity provides the co-benefits of addressing climate change and, at the same time, provides a reliable supply of freshwaters of good quality and quantity. Aside from its importance in the hydrological cycle, inland wetland supports a diverse range of flora and fauna and provide refuge for migratory andthreatened species.
For 2023, three wetlands in the province of Bohol were identified and mapped out, and five wetlands were profiled, namely: Jaclupan Weir Dam, Buhisan Dam, San Vicente Small Reservoir Irrigation System, Lake Danao, and Lake Balinsasayao.
Compared with other provinces in Central Visayas, Bohol is more fortunate to have these nature-based solutions to combat climate change. However, despite being declared as protected areas, human activities continue to threaten our fortress. In 2023, we were shocked by the report that some parts of the Chocolate Hills, a protected area and part of our national treasure, have been ruined by the construction of resorts and other projects.
Despite the fact that tourism is a major contributor to Bohol’s economy, it can never be considered a moral or legal justification for destroying what God has given as a gift to the Boholano people.
Patriarch Bartholomew once said that “committing a crime against the natural world is a sin against ourselves and a sin against God.” We have seen throughout the course of history how nature unleashed its fury.