Adapting to Climate Change: Maintaining Ecosystem Services for Human Well-being in the Verde Island Passage, Philippines

8/14/2019 Adapting to Climate Change: Maintaining Ecosystem Services for Human Well-being in the Verde Island Passage,

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Maintaining ecosystem services for human well-beingin the Verde Island Passage, Philippines

adapting toclimate change


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Verde Island Passage Vulnerability AssessmentProject LeadsRowena Boquiren, PhD (Conservation International)

Giuseppe Di Carlo, PhD (Conservation International)Miledel Christine Quibilan (University of the Philippines)

Table of contents3 The Verde Island Passage

4 Multiple impacts threaten the natural

resources

6 Ecological vulnerability to climate change

8 Human vulnerability to climate change

10 Recommendations

12 References

The Verde Island Passage Vulnerability AssessmentProject was conducted in partnership with the ProvincialGovernment of Batangas, the Provincial Governmentsof Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, the ProvincialGovernment of Marinduque, the Provincial Governmentof Romblon, and all their Municipal Governments, andthe Department of Environment and Natural Resources(DENR).

This document presents the outcomes of the climate changeVulnerability Assessment of the marine biodiversity andrelated well-being in the Verde Island Passage completedby Conservational International and its partners in 2009.

It should be cited as: R. Boquiren, G. Di Carlo, and M.C.Quibilan. 2010. Adapting to Climate Change. MaintainingEcosystem Services for Human Well-being in the VerdeIsland Passage, Philippines. Conservation International,Arlington, VA, USA.

Science Communication TeamTim Carruthers and Jane HawkeyIntegration & Application NetworkUniversity of Maryland Center forEnvironmental Sciencewww.ian.umces.edu

Conservation International (CI)MissionBuilding upon a strong foundation of science,partnership and field demonstration, CI empowerssocieties to responsibly and sustainably care for nature,our global biodiversity, for the well-being of humanity.

VisionWe imagine a healthy prosperous world in whichsocieties are forever committed to caring for andvaluing nature, our global biodiversity, for the long-termbenefit of people and all life on Earth.

Verde Island Passage Vulnerability AssessmentProject Contributers

Emily Pidgeon, PhD (Conservation International)Annabelle Trinidad (Conservation International)Laura David, PhD (University of the Philippines)Giselle Samonte, PhD (Conservation International)Cesar Villanoy, PhD (University of the Philippines)Fernando Siringan, PhD (University of the Philippines)Al Licuanan, PhD (De La Salle University, Philippines)Porfirio Alino, PhD (University of the Philippines)Rina Rosales (consultant)Niva Gonzales (consultant)Michelle Reyes (consultant)


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The 100 km long Verde Island Passage in the northernPhilippines is located within the globally significantCoral Triangle, an area considered the center of theworlds marine biodiversity, and as such, has a wealth ofcoastal marine resources, including highly diverse coralreefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows.

The Verde Island Passage is a conservation corridormanaged by five provinces: Batangas, OccidentalMindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, and Romblon.The abundant fish and charismatic megafauna supportover 7 million people in those provinces, whoselivelihoods include fishing, aquaculture, and tourism.

The Verde IslandPassage

MangroveMangrove forests

reduce stormeffects and stabilizeshorelines.

Human well-beingin the Verde Island Passageissupported by rich marineand coastal ecosystems.

SeagrassSeagrass meadows

reduce erosion andimprove water quality.

SeaweedSeaweed communities

support a range ofinvertebrates and arethe cement of coralreefs.

FishAbundant fish

provide food andlivelihood forcommercial andmunicipal fishers.

CoralPredominantly fringing

coral reefs supportabundant and diversefish communities.

MegafaunaReef shark, dugong, sea turtle,manta ray, whale shark

The Pacific Ocean and South China Sea converge within the VerdeIsland Passage channel, which is surrounded by five provinces(names above).

N0 14 28 km

Marinduque

Romblon

OccidentalMindoro

South

China

Sea

VerdeIslandPassage

Indonesia

Philippines

VerdeIsland

Passage

SolomonIslands

coral triangle


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resources of Verde Island PassageAt a broader scale, climate change will also impact naturalcoastal resources in areas such as Verde Island Passage,Philippines.

sea level riseinundatescoastal areas

increasedrainfallcausesflooding

the frequencyand intensityof stormsincrease

acidic oceanthreatensshellfish andcorals

high seasurfacetemperaturesbleach coral

climate change impacts

Sea level riseAs sea water temperature increases, it expands,resulting in sea level rise. Over the last five years, sealevel surrounding the Verde Island Passage has beenincreasing at 0.5 to 1.0 mm per year.

Increased rainfallRainfall shows high variability in the Verde Island

Passage, but a general increase has been recorded inthe region. Although it is unclear how climate changemight affect rainfall patterns, increased rainfall isexpected in some Verde Island Passage areas.

Ocean acidificationAs the ocean absorbs the excess carbon dioxide (CO2)from emissions released into the atmosphere, the acidityof the ocean increases.

Increased sea surface temperatureSea surfacetemperature variesamong years, butan increase of

0.06 C/decadeover the last 100years and 0.2 C/decade for the past20 years has beenobserved (right).Increases aremost pronouncedin bays with lowcirculation, e.g., Mabini.

Increased storm frequency and intensityBetween 1952and 2008, 160typhoons passedwithin 200 km ofthe Verde IslandPassage (right).With increasingsea surfacetemperatures,predictions are thatthe number andintensity of stormsare likely to increase.

bleached coral storm flooding

Japan Meteorology Agency

0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4

1985-2005 trends (C/decade)

13N

14N

12N

latitude

120E 121E 122E 123E

longitude

2005

2000

1995

1990

1985

1980

1975

1970

1065

1960

195512N

14N

13N

16N

15N

11N

latitude

119E

longitude120E 122E 124E123E121E

NOAA-Coral Reef Watch


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Ecological vulnerabilityto climateClimate change in the Verde Island Passage is highly liketo impact key components of marine ecosystems, includifish, coral, mangrove, seagrass, and seaweed communitieHowever, as these ecosystems are highly connected, thecombined effects are likely to be even larger. For example

Sea level risePhysical effects:allareas will be affected,with impacts furtherexacerbated by coastaldevelopment, limitingthe opportunity formangrove, seagrass,and coral communitiesto migrate onshore.

Fish vulnerability:changes in salinity willcause shifts in fish ranges. Loss of mangrove nurseryhabitat can affect larval development and availability ofrefugia.

Coral vulnerability:between 0.4 and 7.0% loss ofcover depending on location as well as loss of 0.6-0.8%of coral diversity, with greatest impacts in the deep reefs.

Mangrove vulnerability:as outer forest edgesbecome too deep and coastal development precludingmovement onshore, expansion areas will be reduced.

Seagrass vulnerability: shallow, high light-requiringspecies may be replaced by those tolerant to lower light.

Seaweed vulnerability:species shifts will occurwith changes in salinity, mangrove forest, and seagrassmeadows.

Increased sea surface temperaturePhysical effects:shallow, limitedcirculation bays arelikely to see the greatesttemperature increases,but offshore upwelling ofnutrient-rich waters maybe disrupted, loweringocean productivity.

Fish vulnerability:potential 13-20%reduction in production due to impacts on fish larvaedevelopment (siganids, groupers, snappers) anddisruption to reproduction. Additionally, fish may moveoffshore to escape high temperatures.

Coral vulnerability:coral bleaching, resulting inloss (3-20%) of live hard coral cover, and subsequentreduction in reef structure.

Mangrove vulnerability:potential for decreasedseedling production, survivorship, and regeneration,leading to forest degradation.

Seagrass vulnerability:heat stress can impact growth,reproduction, and induce shifts to more tolerant species.

Seaweed vulnerability:changes to growth andreproduction as well as community structure.

Increased storm frequency and intensityPhysical effects: the Verde Island Passage is well protectfrom high waves. However, storms that cause flooding, coaserosion, and destruction of biotic communities will worsen, wconsequences for biodiversity and coastal resilience.

Fish vulnerability: lower recruitment, abundance, and divedue to habitat loss and decreased habitat complexity.

Coral vulnerability: physical destruction of corals anddetrimental effects on water quality impacting coral growth.

Mangrove vulnerability:physical destruction of mangrove

0 4020 60 km


sea level rise

increasedsea surfacetemperature

increasedstormfrequencyandintensity ocean

acidification

increasedrainfall


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0 4020 60 km

Natural resources of the Verde Island Passage are esseto the livelihood of the more than 7 million people living the five surrounding provinces, 30-50% of whom reside

Human vulnerabilityto climate chang

Sea level riseSummary effects:coastal flooding, habitatloss, and salt waterintrusion will affectaquaculture, watersupply, and coastalinfrastructure.

Fisheries: loss ofcoral habitat impactsaquarium and artisanalfisheries, limitinglivelihood options in low-income areas.

Tourism:damage to coastal resorts and reducedtourism potential resulting from degradation of coastalhabitats.

Foreshore development: flooding can cause damageto infrastructure, including homes, farms, and entirevillages with serious consequences for human safety andthe economy of local communities.

Human health: flooding causing increased pollution(from industry) and water contamination (fromwastewater), increased water-borne diseases.

Food security: intrusion of saltwater and flooding intoagricultural lands and inland aquaculture can affect foodprices and freshwater availability.

Increased sea surface temperatureSummary effects:coral bleaching,degradation ofmangrove, seagrass,and seaweedcommunities, andmovement of fishoffshore, will affectfisheries, aquaculture,and tourism-relatedlivelihoods.

Fisheries: high vulnerability of municipal fisheries fromloss of coral reef fish and small pelagic species, negativelyaffecting low income fishers and food availability.

Tourism:loss of livelihood potential through reducedtourism income due to degraded coral habitat, reducedfisheries and fish diversity for species such as whalesharks and sea turtles.

Foreshore development:low vulnerability

Human health:potential impacts to health andfreshwater safety as warmer water can induce toxic algalblooms.

Food security:greater effort to obtain fish (fartheroffshore) and food shortages due to reduced fishproduction.


Increased storm frequency and intensitySummary effects: habitat destruction, floods, and coastalerosion will affect infrastructure, food availability, and health.

Fisheries: damage to boats, fishing equipment, aquaculturponds, and seaweed farms, causing increased financial streto municipal fisheries.

Tourism: damage to coral with loss of biodiversity andcharismatic species, resulting in reduced tourism potential.Damage to resorts and tourist infrastructure.

Foreshore development:damage to coastal infrastructur

sea level rise

increasedsea surfacetemperature

increasedstormfrequencyandintensity ocean

acidification

increasedrainfall


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s

Marinduque

Romblon

entaldoro

n coastal communities. The influence of climate changeas the potential to impact not only their livelihoods and

nfrastructure, but also their food and health.

in the Verde Island Passage

Ocean acidificationSummary effects:degradation ofcoral and calcifyingorganisms threatensfood security andreduces shellfish fisheryrevenues.Fisheries:loss of coralhabitat and shellfishspecies, affectinglobster and bivalvefisheries, and shrimp farming.Tourism:losses in dive tourism revenues as coral reefsdegrade and associated biodiversity is lost.

Foreshore development:low vulnerabilityHuman health: low vulnerabilityFood security:limiting growth of marine snails,bivalves, and lobsters with consequences for local foodmarkets, negatively affecting low income fishers and foodavailability.

Increased rainfallSummary effects:increased land erosion,and sediment andnutrient loads affectstourism activities andinshore fisheries.Fisheries:reducedcatches and loss ofincome, caused bydegraded marinehabitats.Tourism: poorwater quality and loss of coral reefs, reducing tourismrevenues. Potential flooding with negative effects ontourist infrastructure and contamination of freshwater.Foreshore development: erosion and potentialflooding which can damage houses and aquacultureplants with consequential loss of properties, incomes,

and population displacement, especially in low incomeareas.Human health:increased pollution, watercontamination, and water-borne diseases.Food security:negative effects on agriculture andaquaculture. Impacts on seaweed farms will reducelivelihood opportunities for women.

human vulnerabilitymoderate vulnerability

increasing vulnerability

extreme vulnerability

fisherieshuman healthand foodsecurity

tourism

foreshore development

interruptions to commercialoperations, e.g., factory closure.

Human health:illness,injuries, loss of lives or housingdue to weather, and damageto health infrastructure such ashospitals.

Food security:damage toagricultural production andstored food spoilage.


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Recommendations for adapting toclimate change impactsClimate change has already altered the balance of the oceans with serious and irreversible consequences formarine ecosystems and the services they provide. The disruption of ecological functions and ecosystem serviceshas severe impacts on the well-being of human communities, especially in coastal areas like the Verde Island

Passage, where human dependencies on the oceans are high. Immediate and substantial actions need to be takento increase the adaptive capacity of coastal marine ecosystems and the people that depend on them. Adapting toclimate change is the only solution to ensure ecosystems and human societies can survive and maintain their well-being when exposed to climate change impacts. To decrease vulnerabilities of the Verde Island Passage to climatechange, the following recommendations should be implemented.

municipal management strategies that are climate change-smart and efficientlyused, and ecosystem monitoring and evaluation that address climate change.

sustainable aquaculture practices that minimize the impacts to the naturalecosystems (e.g., low density finfish pens and chemical-free shrimp ponds).

a review of existing local, regional, and national policies and ordinances focusedon resource management and reform to include ecosystem-based adaptation, andenable new frameworks where necessary.

guidelines and best practices for coastal and foreshore development planning thattake into account the potential for increased storm activity, salt water intrusion, and other climate change impacts.

Implement:

use of newly propagated accretion from eroded uplands for mangroves as a bufferagainst coastal erosion and large waves.

the improvement and retrofit of existing infrastructure to make sure they cansustain climate impacts.

appropriate engineering of ports, quarries, and foreshore development so as to notimpact long-shore sediment movement.

use of best management practices for fishing on coral reefs, seagrass beds, andmangrove forests, and increased enforcement towards illegal and destructivepractices (e.g., dynamite fishing and push nets).

enforcement against deforestation and extensive agriculture in the watersheds that promote high sediment runoff,causing coral reef degradation and the decline of coastal and offshore fisheries.

Instigate:

artificial reef development, channel dredging, and seaweed farming through zoning

activities. the establishment of better enforcement of illegal fishing activities including blast

fishing, cyanide fishing, and shark fin fishing.

use of sustainable fishing gear to minimize bycatch.

Regulate:


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Marine Protected Areas to reduce current impacts, preserve biodiversity, andsustain fisheries, increasing the resilience and adaptive capacity of marineecosystems to sustain climate change impacts.

climate-smart Marine Protected Areas that apply adaptive managementapproaches to address current and future climate change impacts.

outreach programs to create awareness and engage communities on climatechange and its impacts on marine resources.

enforcement patrol and communication tools among wardens within the localMarine Protected Area network.

Establish:

livelihoods for coastal miners (e.g., pebble picking) to reduce coastal erosion andenable revenues to derive from sustainable practices.

livelihoods, particularly for climate change-vulnerable activities such as aquariumfishing.

gear use, adaptation, and mechanization within sustainable limits to facilitatefishing as fish move farther offshore.

opportunities for solid waste and chemical disposal that favor the spread ofdisease, pollution, and burial of important coastal ecosystems (e.g., seagrassmeadows and mangrove seedlings).

Diversify:

areas of critical life stages of vulnerable fisheries species, e.g., siganids, andcritical biological communities, e.g., upwelling areas.

natural mangrove, seagrass, and coral habitats that act as natural coastal defense

mechanisms, reducing erosional processes and buffering storms and otherextreme weather events.

a variety of habitats including seagrass, seaweed, and mangroves as they supportvarious life stages of multiple fisheries species.

areas (e.g., Mabini, Puerto Galera), species (e.g., whale sharks), and ecosystems(e.g., mangroves, coral reefs) that sustain important tourism activities, providing income for local communities.

Protect:


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References

Japan Meteorology Agency. RSMC Best Track Data. Updated 21 June 2009. Stormtrack data from 1952-2008 within 200 km from Verde Island. Japan MeteorologyAgency, www. jma.go.jp/jma/jma-eng/jma-center/rsmc-hp-pub-eg/.

NOAA. Sea surface temperature increase (C/year) in the Verde Island Passagefrom 1985-2006. NOAA-Coral Reef Watch, coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite.

For further reading

Carpenter, K.E. and V.G. Springer. 2005. The center of the center of marine shorefish biodiversity: the Philippines Islands. Env. Biol. Fish. 72:467-480.

IUCN. 2008. Status of the Worlds Marine Species. International Union forConservation of Nature Red List, www.iucn.org/redlist.

For more information on the Verde Island PassageVulnerability Assessment Project, contact:

Giuseppe Di Carlo, PhDManager, Marine Climate Change ProgramConservation International - Global Marine [email protected]

Rowena Boquiren, PhDSocioeconomics and Policy Unit (SEPU) LeaderConservation International - [email protected]

Conservation International2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500Arlington, VA 22202 USAWeb: www.conservation.org

Photo creditsTeri AquinoCI/photo by Haraldo CastroTim CarruthersBenjamin De Ridder, Marine PhotobankCI/photo by Giuseppe Di Carlo Google EarthKeith Ellenbogen

CI/photo by Michelle EncomiendaCI/photo by Jrgen FreundLeonard J McKenzieCI/photo by Miledel C. Quibilanrembss, FlickrBadi SamaniegoCI/photo by Sterling Zumbrunn

Documents

Adapting to Climate Change: Maintaining Ecosystem Services for Human Well-being in the Verde Island Passage, Philippines