ADB launches $3-M grant-funded project to conserve PH wetlands

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday announced it has launched a grant-funded project aimed at conserving wetlands in the Philippines that serve as critical stopovers for migratory birds.

In a news release, the ADB said it launched the “Philippines Flyway Project” to strengthen the conservation of vital wetland ecosystems serving as migratory bird habitats for birds traveling along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway (EAAF).

The project was also aimed at enhancing biodiversity, supporting sustainable livelihoods, and boosting climate resilience.

The ADB said the project is funded by a $3-million grant from Global Environment Facility.

“Wetlands in our region face mounting threats from reclamation, degradation, and urban expansion, and the EAAF is considered the most threatened of the world’s major flyways,” said ADB vice-president for East and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Scott Morris. 

“Through the Philippines Flyway Project, ADB and DENR are working together to protect, manage, and restore these critical ecosystems—helping communities and nature thrive,” said Morris.

The ADB said the project, to be implemented by the DENR, focuses on three priority wetlands —Candaba in Luzon, and Lake Mainit and Sibugay Wetlands in Mindanao. 

The bank said the project will strengthen the protection, management, and restoration of degraded habitats in the said wetlands and also build local capacity, enhance site management plans, and promote sustainable livelihoods that align conservation with development goals.

The ADB said the Philippines Flyway Project is part of the bank’s Regional Flyway Initiative launched in 2021 to mobilize $3 billion over the next decade across 11 developing countries in Asia and the Pacific to conserve priority wetlands along the EAAF.

More than 20 migratory waterbird species depend on wetlands in the Philippines as key stopover and wintering sites, according to the bank. 

The ADB further said the country is home to 10 Ramsar wetlands of international importance, and seven Flyway Network Sites that host major seabird colonies, such as the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.—AOL, GMA Integrated News