Analysis of Key Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in the Philippines

 
The 2011 Philippine Forestry Statistics of the Forest Management Bureau (FMB) show that based on the interpretation and analysis of 2003 satellite imageries, the national forest cover amounts to 7.168 million hectares or 23.89 per cent of the country’s total land area of around 30 million hectares. While the deforestation rate has stabilized and even reversed in some areas, the forest cover is way below the 1934 data of 17.8 million hectares. The forest loss affects the national interest to produce goods and ecosystem services and translates to a substantial contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
 
During the UNFCCC COP-13 in Bali, Indonesia in December 2007, the international community has called upon countries to explore the concept of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) as a new mechanism to combine forest protection with objectives of climate protection, biodiversity conservation and improvement of local livelihoods. In the recent international discussions, the concept has been expanded to include conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD-plus). At the country level, the Philippines expressed its high interest to participate as signified by the commitment to adjust its forest policy to the necessities of climate protection in the context of REDD-plus. In this context, the Government in collaboration with a wide range of actors has established the Philippine National REDD-Plus Strategy (PRNRPS) which has become integral part of the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 and the National Climate Change Action Plan 2011-2028.
 
To support the implementation of the PNRPS particularly the REDD-plus readiness phase, the International Climate Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) funded the Project “Climate-Relevant Modernization of the National Forest Policy and Piloting of REDD Measures in the Philippines”. The Project is implemented by GIZ with the DENR as the main partner, in cooperation with local government units (LGUs) and a wide range of stakeholders. In line with the country’s efforts towards forest and climate protection and the development of appropriate policy and instruments for pursuing REDD-plus as foreseen under the PNRPS, the Project supported the conduct of four policy studies in collaboration with key stakeholders: (1) Analysis of drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, (2) Forest policy, (3) Clarifying carbon rights, and (4) Analysis of free prior informed consent (FPIC) implementation.
 
This study aims to assess the key drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, analyze the underlying causes, incentives and relative importance, to develop a policy agenda and to derive differentiated recommendations to address the various drivers of deforestation and forest degradation effectively and to be able to design related REDD+ activities.
 
Thus, the study could provide pertinent information to policy makers at local and national levels in looking deeply into the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and craft necessary policy actions to prevent their occurrence and reduce the negative impacts of climate change through mitigation and adaptation. Understanding the direct and indirect causes of forest loss would result in a more focused strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat global warming.