ABOUT PEMSEA> PEMSEA SITE: Demonstration
BATANGAS, PHILIPPINES

Objective

To demonstrate the application of integrated coastal management (ICM) for effective prevention and management of marine pollution.
 

Profile

• Land Area: 871.1 square kilometers

• Sea Area: 220 square kilometers

• Coastline: 470 kilometers

• Coastal Municipalities: Mabini, Bauan, San Pascual, Batangas City, Verde Island and Tingloy in Maricaban Island

• Total Population (1996): 733,240

• Main Economies: agriculture (coconut, copra, sugarcane, rice, corn), livestock and poultry, industry (e.g., oil refineries, ship building and fabrication, wood treatment, power generation, chemical manufacturing, flour milling, alcohol distilleries), port development, tourism and fisheries (fishing, fry gathering, and brackishwater aquaculture).

Rationale

The Batangas Bay Region is in the throes of industrialization. Economic growth, in line with the national and provincial government's industrialization strategy, includes the following activities: the development of an international port for transshipment or raw and finished products, the influx of industry to the coastal area and the intensification of commerce.

Development of the Bay Region will need reliable, integrated environmental planning and management to ensure the sustainability of existing and planned activities.
 

Environmental Management Issues

The major environmental management problems in Batangas Bay are:

• inadequate and fragmented environmental and natural resource-use policies, plans and programs;

• lack of legal and institutional mechanisms for integrated and participatory environmental management;

• inadequate application of technical interventions for environmental management;

• limited knowledge and capability of local stakeholders on integrated environmental management;

• lack of baseline information; and

• inadequate investments to support integrated environmental management.

Project Summary

The project was initiated in 1994. A multi-sectoral Coastal Management Task Force was created to implement the project activities. Thirty-three subprojects have been or, are being, implemented. These include:

• development of a coastal environmental profile;

• formulation of a strategic environmental management plan;

• establishment of an environmental management fund;

• assessment of monitoring capability among the public and private sectors;

• institutional and organizational arrangements and strengthening;

• public awareness and capacity building;

• development and implementation of an integrated waste management action plan;

• implementation of a marine pollution monitoring program;

• development of a Geographic Information System for planning and management;

• preparation of a spatial digital database and coastal management atlas;

• development of a water-use zonation scheme;

• development of ships' routing measures for the Bay;

• completion of a socioeconomic impact analysis;

• conduct of hydrographic field surveys;

• assessment of fish and living resources; and

• development of sustainable financing mechanisms

Main Project Achievements and Outputs (as of 1998)

• Memorandum of Understanding among UNDP, IMO, DENR, local governments of Batangas Province and the Batangas Coastal Resources Management Foundation, April 1994;

• Implementation of a cleanest coastal village contest, April 1994;

• Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO), Batangas Provincial Government, created as lead local agency for environmental management and project management office, January 1996;

• First Hydrographic Field survey, February 1996;

• Batangas Bay Council for Integrated Coastal Management established by Provincial Ordinance, May 1996;

• Adoption of the Strategic Environmental Management Plan and Action Plan for Integrated Waste Management by the Batangas Bay Council, August 1996;

• Coastal Environmental Profile of the Batangas Bay Region, September 1996;

• Voluntary Agreements on Integrated Waste Management between public and private sectors signed in Batangas, September 1996;

• Establishment of a GIS at ENRO, October 1996;

• Completion of a contingent valuation survey in the Batangas Bay Region, May 1997;

• Signing of MOA with UWEP for collaboration on the implementation of the Integrated Waste Management Action Plan in the Batangas Bay Region, May 1997;

• Establishment of initial water use zoning scheme for Batangas Bay, August 1997;

• Publication of GIS-oriented environmental atlas for Batangas Bay, November 1997;

• Batangas Marine Environmental Laboratory inaugurated, February 1998;

• Water quality monitoring programme established, 1998;

• Signing of four Memorandum of Agreements between IMO and

• DENR on (a) ICM programme; (b) prototype marine pollution monitoring programme; (c) environmental management atlas training programme for LGUs and CEP implementors; and (d) Manual on economic instruments for ICM March, 1998;

• The Environmental Management Spatial Database of Batangas Bay (CD ROM) is produced and distributed. 1998;

• Water use zoning scheme produced based on stakeholder participation, 1998;

• Public awareness campaign; launching of Batangas Bay Watch 1998;

• Numerous technical reports of subprojects listed above.

Contact Persons:

Ms. Evelyn Estigoy
Director
Environment and Natural Resources Office
Provincial Government of Batangas
Capitol Site
BATANGAS CITY 4200
Telefax: [043] 723-2468
 

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